By KINIBIZ
So this week there has been much furore over the proposal to make halal and non-halal segregation in supermarkets law.
Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Hamzah Zainudin reportedly said the government is looking into the idea of creating a law that requires compulsory separation of trolleys that carry halal items only from those that carry non-halal items such as pork.
While it may, at first glance, seem like a reasonable idea backed by reasonable concern to some people, the proposal is ridiculous. Not only does it involve huge costs to enforce and comply with alongside causing great inconvenience to shoppers who may change their minds about buying non-halal items mid-shopping, but the idea leads us down a slippery slope.
Because where does it end? An interesting example that may require further segregation is money – how do Muslims know that the cash notes in their wallets had not, at some point, been handled by pork butchers or dog handlers? What about coins?
Will we then require special ringgit notes for non-halal transactions? Will this then extend to halal and non-halal government revenue and separating how they are spent? What about halal and non-halal land – will land that previously sited breweries, for example, deemed haram for Muslims to buy over later?
And this is before we consider that while Muslims adhere to religious restrictions on halal and haram, other religions also have their own restrictions. A common example is Hindus and beef. Will we segregate trolleys for them, too?
The possibilities are endless. Much easier to stop the silly talk and focus on the betterment of the nation by addressing the main issues plaguing us today.
In any case, here are some of our best news, analyses and comments over this past week:
Topsy turvy TV. Television viewer consumption habits are changing both globally and locally, and competition is heating up between TV players and new media players as a result. In a three-part issue series, KINIBIZ looks at the global and local TV landscapes and what is disrupting them. Read here.
Obama writes on TPP. As the public in nations involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations come to terms with the agreement text made public recently, US President Barack Obama outlines his position on the trade deal and how it benefits his nation. Read here.
Petronas 3Q profits plunge 91%. On Wednesday, Petronas unveiled its third-quarter earnings for the financial year and its quarterly profits plunged sharply by 91% year-on-year. But it is not cutting jobs yet, said chief Wan Zulkiflee, who also remarked on Petronas’ RM130 billion Canadian venture and the crowded Malaysian oil and gas sector. Read all about it here, here, here and here.
No error on 1MDB repatriation order, says BNM. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) did not make an error in revoking the permission it initially granted 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) allowing it to take US$1.83 billion (about RM8 billion at current exchange rates), said governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz. Read here.
The taxi-Uber war. The ride-sharing app Uber has disrupted taxi services in many countries worldwide and Malaysia is no exception. What makes it successful against our established taxi system? In a four-part series, Malaysiakini dissects the Uber success story and puts the larger taxi industry under scrutiny. Start reading here.
Why would 1MDB sell most of Bandar Malaysia? When first announced, 1MDB’s Bandar Malaysia project was a grand development that promised to set a new yardstick for world-class living in Malaysia. Yet foreigners may have the last laugh if 1MDB ends up selling a majority stake to a foreign entity as it seeks to do. Read here.
Johor Corp’s RM2 bil Kulim takeover a win-win deal? On the surface, it may very well seem that Johor Corp, Kulim (Malaysia) Bhd’s largest shareholder, is losing out on a proposed RM2.2 billion privatisation deal. However, a closer look reveals a little more about the deal and it could be a win-win after all. Read here.
The poverty line’s battle lines. Being in the business of measuring poverty is a challenge for the World Bank. Whether poverty rises, falls or stays the same, there will be critics decrying the World Bank for it, wrote Kaushik Basu, chief economist and senior vice-president of the World Bank here.
When financial markets misread politics. When Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) defied pundits and pollsters by regaining a parliamentary majority in the country’s general election on Nov 1, financial markets cheered. The next day, the Istanbul stock exchange rose by more than 5%, and the Turkish lira rallied. But why? Read here.
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— by Khairie Hisyam Aliman, News Editor
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