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Tag: halal

  • Ng Eng Hen: No Space For Halal Kitchens On Navy’s Ships

    Ng Eng Hen: No Space For Halal Kitchens On Navy’s Ships

    “Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) operational concerns must come first and individual needs sometimes must (be) subsumed under that,” said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen in Parliament on Thursday (7 April), on the topic of providing halal food on Navy vessels.

    He was addressing an issue brought up by Member of Parliament (MP) Muhammad Faisal Abdul Manap on the provision of halal food in the SAF and the lack of Malays serving in the Navy.

    In February 2015, Ng spoke to a group of students and academics during a forum organised by government feedback arm Reach and the National University of Singapore, where he said that it is difficult to have a halal kitchen in confined spaces such as those aboard Navy vessels.

    According to The Straits Times, he was responding to a question on perceived bias against Malays in the SAF.

    “Where we can, we will accommodate. And I’m certain that there are situations where I cannot please or accommodate all requirements. I cannot hand-on-heart assure you all my mobile kitchens are halal,” Ng said in Parliament.

    “But always, the understanding (is) that the SAF’s needs and operational concerns, must come first,” he added.

    Senior Minister of State Maliki Osman also addressed Faisal’s concern, saying that the SAF makes provisions for Muslims on board ships with food options such as seafood, chicken and vegetables.

    “Our approach has been to accommodate as far as practicable, the needs of devotees of different religions while maintaining the common space and goals for all,” he said.

    “Apart from Islam, religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Sikhism also practise certain dietary restrictions. However, we do not insist that public eating places cater to any specific religious requirement rather than encouraging any one religious group to push fully its own strict requirements,” said Maliki.

    “These facilitates social integration where Singaporeans come together, eat in the same space and interact. This is the cornerstone of a multiracial society and Singaporeans accept this,” added Maliki.

    Maliki explained that in SAF camps, halal food is prepared separately from non-halal foods. Where space is limited, vegetarian and halal food will be brought in from centralised kitchens instead of being prepared in the camps’ cookhouses. Such options are also available for combat food rations for NSmen to eat when they are out in the field.

    “The preparation of halal foods require strict adherence to the religious stipulations governing the food stalls, preparation and even storage. So for Navy ships, space is always a premium – which needs to be maximised and prioritised – for key operational requirements in terms of combat systems and equipment spares,” said Maliki.

    Source: Yahoo News

  • Badan Amal Baru Agih 150,000 Makanan Percuma

    Badan Amal Baru Agih 150,000 Makanan Percuma

    MEMBERI 150,000 bungkusan makanan percuma kepada mereka yang memerlukan.

    Demikian matlamat murni yang sedang dilaksanakan oleh sebuah badan amal baru Free Food For All (FFFA), yang melancarkan kempen tersebut baru-baru ini.

    Dipanggil ‘150K Meals: For the Community, From the Community’ atau ‘150K Makanan: Untuk Masyarakat, Dari Masyarakat’, kempen tersebut dilancarkan di Blok 176, Boon Lay Drive.

    Dengan bantuan para sukarelawan masyarakat Boon Lay, FFFA menyediakan lebih 400 bungkusan makanan malam kepada mereka yang memerlukan di kawasan tersebut setiap hari, bahkan pengedaran tersebut telah pun dilakukan sejak 1 Mac lalu.

    Turut membantu mengedarkan bungkusan tersebut adalah para pemain dan pengurus kelab bola sepak Liga-S, Home United.

    Pengasas FFFA, Encik Nizar Md Shariff, berkata melalui penyediaan hidangan makanan halal itu sesama jiran tetangga, semangat kemasyarakatan diharap dapat dijalin dan disemai.

    “Satu program penghantaran makan malam telah dimulakan, memberi peluang kepada warga untuk memainkan peranan lebih besar, seperti mengirim makanan kepada jiran terutama warga tua,” kata beliau.

    Menurutnya, dalam tempoh setahun akan datang, FFFA berhasrat untuk mengedarkan 150,000 bungkus makanan percuma – lebih seganda jumlah yang diagihkan pada tahun sebelumnya.

    FFFA merupakan badan amal berdaftar yang menyediakan makanan secara percuma kepada golongan kurang bernasib baik tidak kira bangsa atau agama.

    Ia dimulakan pada November 2014 secara tidak formal dan menjadi badan amal berdaftar pada Jun tahun lalu.

    Sejak diasaskan, FFFA telah pun mengedarkan lebih 75,000 bungkusan makanan, tetapi kini ia berhasrat mengedarkan 150,000 bungkusan makanan di bawah kempen tersebut.

    Kempen itu dibiayai oleh para penderma individu dan korporat.

    Menu makanannya pula berubah-ubah setiap hari tetapi secara umum hidangannya termasuk nasi, sayur dan ayam atau ikan.

    Sebelum ini, FFFA juga telah mengedarkan makanan percuma itu di Marsiling, Chai Chee, Marine Parade dan MacPherson, kebanyakannya setiap minggu.

    Badan amal itu kini berharap untuk mengumpul wang sejumlah S$300,000 bagi membiayai kempennya dan berharap penderma tampil memberi sumbangan yang boleh dilakukan melalui derma dalam talian menerusi laman Giving.SG ataupun tin derma rumah.

    Satu acara mengumpul dana bagi kempen tersebut juga akan diadakan di Pasar Geylang Serai, dari 9 pagi hingga 5 petang, Sabtu ini (2 April).

    FFFA turut akan mengadakan klinik bola sepak untuk para belia masyarakat Boon Lay awal bulan depan.

     

    Source: Berita Harian SG

  • Encik Tan: CCTV Records Show That Our Chinese-Muslim Staff Did Not Act Inappropriately

    Encik Tan: CCTV Records Show That Our Chinese-Muslim Staff Did Not Act Inappropriately

    The management of Encik Tan have contacted us and issued this reply to give their account of the events that took place that day.
    Read their response here.
    It appears that your complain of poor service relates to the incorrect amount of money change given to your husband and the “purported” charging of replacement drinks.
    We have looked into the matter and have also verified the incident with the staff in question. We actually have a rather different account of the incident which can be backed up by CCTV footage.
    We have attempted to contact you for a meeting to clarify the actual details of the incident but to no avail
    We sincerely hope you can get in touch with us to set up such a meeting.
    You have also alleged that the staff in question may be a Chinese woman wearing a tudung for the sake of halal certification.
    We would like to put on record that the staff is a Chinese muslim (as verified from her identity document).
    Further, MUIS will issue Halal Certication to a food and beverage outlet based on a set of strict Criteria set out by MUIS and not in the matter you have alleged.
    We are also prepared to arrange for a consultant from the Halal certification to be present at the Meeting to clarify the matter as we have build a strong bonding with our Muslim community all these years . We do not allow accusations of any form to damage our good standing.
    We look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible as we would like to amicably resolve the matter and clear up all the misunderstandings
     
    Joe
    PA to Group Director
    Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com
  • Pork Products Placed In Halal Section Of NTUC Hougang Heartland Mall – Supermarkets Must Educate Public!

    Pork Products Placed In Halal Section Of NTUC Hougang Heartland Mall – Supermarkets Must Educate Public!

     

    I really hope that some form of educational posters are made to inform people to ” DO NOT PLACE UNWANTED PORK ITEMS INTO HALAL SECTION”.

     

    Abdillah Hashim Post

    The section just after the orange divider on the left is the NON-HALAL section, these can be placed there and not be inconsiderate.

     

     

    Source: Abdillah Hashim

     

  • Japan’s Restaurant Look To Cater To The Halal Food Industry

    Japan’s Restaurant Look To Cater To The Halal Food Industry

    TAITO WARD — In a sushi restaurant in Tokyo, a group of customers is shuffling in. They first take a quick glance at the menu to check if there’s anything that might go against halal rules.

    The restaurant is only one of many in Japan that are looking to the halal food market to expand their business, as visitors from predominantly Muslim countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia are increasingly visiting Japan.

    However, there are also difficulties they face in catering to these customers.

    “In Japan, places where they handle halal seasoning are very limited,” said manager of Sushi Ken Masao Ito. “I have had difficulty getting my hands on them. The fish itself is not a problem. (But) another problem is processed food.”

    However, they have managed to find alternatives. At Sushi Ken, the seasoning is made in-house. The radish roll tastes a little different, but is still delicious. At another Yakiniku, or grilled meat restaurant, its owners are doing even more to obtain halal certification.

    “They have to change all their ingredients, items,” said chairman of the Japan Halal Foundation, Mohamed Nazer.

    The restaurant has even prepared a whole new kitchen to be able to serve halal meat. According to its manager, the cost of doing so has been high, though he stopped short of unveiling the exact amount.

    “If things work out, we would like to be a halal meat wholesaler to expand business,” said manager of Pangu, Hiroaki Sato.

    The restaurant eventually earned a stamp of approval, a boon for Muslims diners as a mosque is located nearby.

    ‘MUSLIMS CAN ENJOY WITHOUT ANY WORRIES’ 

    Taito ward now has 17 restaurants with halal certification, a huge step up from when there were only Indian restaurants serving halal food in the past. This change is in part due to subsidies of up to US$820 offered by the local city government, part of a scheme that started in October.

    They used to have only Indian restaurants serving halal menus. This change is partly due to subsidies of up to 820 US dollars offered by the local city government, thanks to a system launched in October.

    “When you travel, you want to enjoy the food of that country, the regions, and if that cannot be done here in Taito ward, it’s sad,” said director of tourism at Taito City office, Takuji Kwai. “We offer lots of delicious food. So we decided to create an environment where Muslims can enjoy without any worries.”

    A growing number of local governments are also trying to encourage more of their businesses to cater to Muslim visitors. The halal exhibition in Japan is one that has seen success, with an increase of 80 exhibitors last year to 120 this year.

    “Japan is not a Muslim country so the market is very small,” said chairman of the Japan halal Expo Executive Committee, Yoshichika Terasawa, Chairman. “It’s gradually expanding. But it depends on Muslim visitors to Japan. I hope more food suppliers (and) exporters go to the cities to find their new market, the Muslim market.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com