What Do Lapo and Roast Pork Vendors Think About Non-Halal Certification?

JAKARTA — A number of vendors at non-halal restaurants on Jalan Mayjen Sutoyo in Cililitan, East Jakarta, have differing views on a proposal to label non-halal food. Some believe such labelling is unnecessary, while others think it could help consumers identify the types of food on offer.

Vera, an employee at Lapo Codian restaurant, said certification should focus on halal products. In her view, certifying halal and non-halal products alike could confuse the public. “It would be better not to have non-halal certification,” Vera said at the restaurant where she works.

She also said there was no need for specific rules on labelling non-halal food. Certification, she said, should apply only to products that meet halal requirements.

Geva, an employee at Tiga Serangkai restaurant, which sells roast pork, expressed a different view. He said he had no objection to the government introducing specific signs for restaurants that sell non-halal food.

According to Geva, such signs could help consumers, particularly Muslims, who do not know what kind of food a restaurant serves. “So Muslim people don’t just walk in without knowing. Sometimes people from out of town don’t know either; they come in thinking it’s a Padang restaurant,” Geva said.

He said customers had sometimes entered the restaurant believing it served other kinds of food. Some only realised this after looking at the menu, while restaurant staff occasionally informed them as soon as they arrived.

Geva said he would not object if the government provided signs for non-halal restaurants. However, he hoped vendors would not have to handle the entire process of installing them themselves. “If we’re told to make them, we’re a bit reluctant. But if they provide a sign to put here, that’s fine too,” he said.