ACJU to transfer Halal certification process to Govt.

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam

The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) yesterday said it would hand over the Halal certification process to the Government to provide a mechanism that would be acceptable by all stakeholders.

ACJU said the decision was taken with the intention of toning down the prevailing situation with regard to the Halal certification matter that has been grabbing attention since December 2012.

“We feel that the continuous debate on the sensitive Halal issue would only threaten the peaceful coexistence of the people. If handing over the Halal certification process over to the Government would help ease the tension, we are willing to do the same,” ACJU President Ash Sheikh Mufthi M.I.M. Rizwe told a media conference.

Stating that the suggestion would reiterate the ACJU stand that the process was introduced not as commercial venture to generate profit but as service-oriented process to meet the concerns of the Muslim community, Rizwe said that the decision was yet to be formally communicated to the relevant authorities.

ACJU stated that on taking over the certifying process, the Government could adapt the methods modelled by governments of Thailand and Singapore for the issuance of Halal certification. “The ACJU will assist the Government if requested,” Mufthi Rizwe added.

Acknowledging that the ACJU had obtained a fee to render the service it was offering, ACJU said that the Government would also have to follow the same practice to cover the costs incurred during the certification process.

Expressing that its only intention was to facilitate the availability of Halal foods to the Muslim population, the ACJU placed its cash flow in the public domain. A statement released by the ACJU stated that as of 31 March 2012 the turnover generated was Rs. 17 million, whereas a profit of Rs. 2.6 million remained, after covering the cost of issuing Halal certificates to around 150 institutions.

This profit was then reinvested in the certifying process to upgrade it to meet international standards. With the financial statement released, Rizwe stressed that the ACJU once again categorically rejected and denied the baseless allegations of raising funds for dubious purposes.

The ACJU emphasised that it is due to the extremely economical and transparent nature of the certification process that several commercial organisations had voluntarily opted to apply for the certificate for their commercial benefit, which was to increase market share and gain better access to international markets.

ACJU Halal Division In-Charge Shiekh Murshid Mulaffer said that even though false statements had been made, the ACJU certification was internationally accepted and countries such as the USA, UK, and Canada recognised the Sri Lanka Halal logo.

He added that despite the immense pressure faced by companies to withdraw from being Halal certified, only one organisation had expressed its intention of withdrawing from the standard. Mullaffer also said that the ACJU would continue to issue Halal Certification until the Government took over the process.

The ACJU said that while it had been in the country for 87 years and had always been committed to the peaceful coexistence among the communities, it deeply regretted that manner in which the Halal certification process had been used to create divisions and disturbances among the different communities, particularly among the Muslims and Sinhalese.

The ACJU stated that if the legitimate concerns regarding the process could have been placed before the ACJU, a solution acceptable to all communities could have been reached without disturbing the peace and coexistence among the people of the nation.