Halal "Bak Kut Teh": Pada Pati, Tidak Pada Nama

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – A Malaysian government-backed campaign to popularize a well-known ethnic Chinese soup by making a version that avoids pork and fulfills Islamic dietary rules sparked criticism Tuesday by activists who fear it will confuse Muslims.

A halal version of "bak kut teh," a herbal broth traditionally made with pork ribs, was introduced at a Tourism Ministry food fair last weekend to promote local cuisine. The new version contains chicken, seafood or vegetables instead of pork, which Islam prohibits.

However, some Muslims object to the use of "bak kut teh" to identify the revamped recipe, saying the name is synonymous with pork among people in Muslim-majority Malaysia and neighboring Singapore, where the dish is beloved by the ethnic Chinese community.

"Bak kut teh" means "meat bone tea" in a Chinese dialect, but the meat is generally understood to be pork.

"This will cause misunderstanding among the public. It might even lead some Muslims to wonder whether it is all right to eat pork," said Ma'mor Osman, secretary general of the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association.

The association plans to send a complaint to the Tourism Ministry, urging it to find a new name for the halal version, Ma'mor told The Associated Press.

The Department of Islamic Development, a government group that oversees Islamic policies, reportedly said it won't allow the dish to be formally certified as halal if it continues to be named "bak kut teh."

Islamic authorities are worried that Muslims will wrongly assume that the soup's pork version is suitable for consumption, the department's deputy director, Lokman Abdul Rahman, told the Utusan Malaysia newspaper.

Tourism Ministry officials who could comment on the matter were not immediately available. The ministry has spearheaded many culinary promotion efforts this year, hoping to project Malaysia as a travel destination for a wide variety of unique dishes.

By SEAN YOONG,Associated Press Writer - Tuesday, December 22

************************

Apahal Menteri Pelancungan sibuk nak promosi Bak Kut Teh(BKT) halal? Tiada dalam kamus, BKT halal. Memang sah BKT itu sejenis hidangan sup herba daging babi. Kalau pun ditukar dagingnya kepada ayam atau kambing atau seafood, ia bukan BKT lagi. Harus diletak nama lain, bukan BKT halal. Kalau BKT halal, samalah macam kita tukar nama 'Kambing' jadi 'Babi Halal'. Bukankah itu pelik pada tahap gaban!

Tau lah Menteri Pelancungan tu etnik Cina dan mungkin niatnya baik untuk memperkenalkan BKT yang digilai orang kaum Cina dalam versi halal. Tapi dia perlu fahami persepsi orang Melayu pada apa saja yang berkait dengan babi tetap dipandang jijik. Walaupun JAKIM mungkin boleh memberikan sijil halal oleh sebab ingredientnya halal, namanya pada orang Melayu Islam tetap 'tidak halal'.

Cipta saja nama lain. Herba yang digunakan boleh saja sama dan isinya boleh jadi ayam atau kambing atau makanan laut. Letak saja nama 'Sup 1 malaysia'. Pasti PM Najib suka. KPI Ng Yen Yen pasti dapat markah A++.

Begitu juga nama hidangan di hotel 5 bintang yang banyak sudah menterbalikkan maksud dan makna sebenar sesuatu makanan yang asalnya adalah haram. Contohnya, Turkey Bacon (Bacon Ayam Belanda), Chicken Ham dan Beef Hamburger. Bacon dan Ham adalah nama-nama bahagian daging babi. Bukankah pelik jadinya bila daging halal diberikan nama babi!!

Halal mungkin pada patinya bukan pada nama!

Aduss!! Lalu meloya pulak tekak Melayu aku ni!!!

Uwweekkk!! Uwwekkk!! Uwwekk!!

.