Shut down Jakim, says Tawfik Ismail

PETALING JAYA: It is better to shut down the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) than to evaluate its role, Mohamed Tawfik Ismail said today.
The former Umno MP, who has been critical of the agency, said it is redundant.
"Jakim is redundant as a religious body," said Tawfik, who served as MP for Sungai Benut from 1986 to 1990, was quoted by FMT as saying.
He was responding to Putrajaya's announcement that a committee would be appointed to decide whether Jakim should continue with its current role or "revert to its original purpose".
"In the case of halal certificates, the state religious departments are empowered to issue them. If ingredients need to be checked, we have the health and agriculture ministries, which have all the necessary equipment and expertise," he said.
"Moreover, if an item is halal in, say, Egypt or Saudi Arabia or Jordan, why would it need the Malaysian halal certification? This adds to the cost, putting consumers at a disadvantage.
"And there are complaints that the manufacturer has to pay all charges for a Jakim team to verify the halal quality of a product, even if the product is manufactured in Malaysia."