Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Halal and Non - Halal Food

After 6 months of not going to linggi by myself, at last today I have to drive alone. The meeting is scheduled at 2pm, so I have ample time to prepare and surf the internet. Driving to Linggi is not that exciting, the road is too winding and there are only few car passess by but I hope everything gonna be ok. The last time I drove there was last year,it took me almost 2 hours from Putrajaya. I took the coastal road which I thought would be more interesting, but then it's just the same.
The site is situated far inside a kampung area adjacent to Linggi river and it's gonna be really hot like usual. The worst thing about this area is there is only one food stall at a bus stand infront of the site. I have no other choice, or else go to the other side the yard, which sometimes I can't take the food, worry of the cleanliness. Other alternative is going to Kuala Sungai; a small town with only two row of an old shophouse. There are also few Malay stall, the rest are Chinese which they claim halal! Even when I asked the Malay stall operator about the Chinese restaurant,they said confidently that it is 'halal'. God, how can they simply said that while clearly there is this big 'praying counter'(i don't know what they call this)inside the restaurant and it fills with the smell from colok!..Besides we don't know what happen in the kitchen, the might used the same wok, same plate..hurghh..scary. This is what normally happen when all the contractor and the consultants are non-Malay, and you are the only one who have to think not just twice but many many time about your food especially in this remote area where choices are not available. And to make it worst, no matter what I have to follow their car since we go car pool. Some people they are more considerate, they do think about others sensetivity but there are some who just don't care since they are the one who pay or maybe due to the lack of knowledge. Who's to blame in this situation but I have found my ways to overcome this problem. Each time after the meeting I will always insist to go to that small stall infront of the site or to Pengkalan Balak- by the beach few km away but worth it.
Looking back at this halal issue, I think that it's time for Muslim enterprenure to seriously venture and promote halal food. What happen now is we are too depending on non-Malays food supply which they definitely don't have a clear idea of what halal is. It seems like we don't have the control of our own life, of what we eat and what we buy. The list could be too long, from koay teow, chilli paste, vege, bean curd, junk food and drinks are supplied by them. Even asam boi or in Loghat Utara we call it 'asam ko' manufactured by them. I noticed nowadays most people are no longer concern of what they eat daily, what are the ingredients, who prepare the food and whether it's halal or not. We have to consider all these things; what we eat will be our blood that will run through the body which supply the oxigen to move the whole system, eating non-halal food is just like having a contaminated chemical in the blood vessel, it could spoil the system slowly. I read somewhere that we have to avoid eating food prepared by non-Muslim' it's the 'air tangan orang kafir' issue. Keberkatan is what we are looking for in our everyday life, at least if Muslim are the one who prepared the food he might started off with 'Bismillah' or any other doa, at least everybody will get the benefit. Just imagine; one non Muslim guy working as a Chef, who used to drink and only used a toilet paper instead of water prepare your meal. It might taste good, superb but imagine what happen before it; he might used the same hand to open Carlsberg can, the same hand playing at the casino, and the same hand eating pork! Its not a matter of physical thing, he as a Chef will definetely wash his hand before cooking, but this is more spiritual. We are what we eat...

4 comments:

Aku said...

hi,
allow me to have some of those pictures of "when the sun goes down pls.

sue said...

copyright..kena charge ni..:-)ambil la..not my creation..God gives those to share with everybody, bukan selalu boleh dpt shot mcm tu

Arena Green said...

If you are unsure whether you can get halal food at the place you will be visiting in future, may I suggest that you stock up on some halal buns (roti/kek) in your bag just to be on the safe side?

Beats stressing yourself up over this dilemma. Same thing will happen when you travel overseas, dear.

sue said...

cik amoi,
thanx 4 th suggestion, now i always bring my own snacks or candy..