GEORGE TOWN: Muslims have been advised to be careful when choosing foods and drinks, especially those sold at food premises, so as not to violate the laws set by 'syarak' (syariah law).
Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor said Islam forbids its followers to drink intoxicating drinks and consume non-halal food.
"I agree with those who emphasise that the Muslim community needs to be careful in matters related to eating and drinking. They also need to be careful about what can be eaten and drunk based on the laws set by syariah.
"Allah forbids a Muslim to drink any intoxicating drink. The law is the same for alcohol which is prohibited through the texts of the Quran and hadith.
"As such, every Muslim should not consume foods or drinks in any restaurant or premises that do not have a halal certificate issued by the religious authority in this country, namely the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim)," he said today.
Wan Salim said the authorities needed to provide information on illegal laws involving every intoxicant.
"Any Muslim who eats or drinks intoxicating substances will be punished according to the existing provisions in the State Islamic Affairs Administration Enactment.
"I suggest that any premises that serve alcohol and any other intoxicating substances should display a notice stating that Muslims are not allowed to enter the premises," he added.
According to Wan Salim, Muslims need to know that the type of tuak that is 'haram' does not include tuak which is traditionally consumed by Muslims in Kelantan and Terengganu.
"The drink is called nira in the western states of Peninsular Malaysia.
"However, the tuak that is often drunk by the Dayak community in Sarawak is forbidden for Muslims to drink," he said.
Wan Salim's response came in the wake of a report where a premise run by a Muslim couple in Sri Petaling, Selangor was said to have used non-halal ingredients in their cooking.
The premise, which went viral on social media, was visited by the public.
However, the disclosure by some individuals about the premise allegedly using non-halal ingredients has cast doubt among the public.
The premise is said to have used 'rice wine' in their cooking, which caused anxiety among Muslim consumers who had eaten there.
Following that, Jakim, in a statement on its Facebook page, confirmed that the claypot chicken rice premise did not hold the Malaysian Halal Verification Certificate (SPHM), based on a check through the Malaysian Halal Portal.
Jakim also confirmed that they had never issued a halal certification for the said premise.
It is understood that the premise is currently closed following the spread of the issue.