New Halal Label Reaps Controversy, PKS Party Suggests Ministry Of Religion To Use The MUI Halal Logo Back

JAKARTA - The new halal label issued by the Ministry of Religion's Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJH) has drawn controversy. The new purple halal logo is not only considered to have fallen into the local wisdom culture of Javanese culture, but is also considered not to reflect Islam.

In fact, apart from being unreadable, the Arabic script actually reads halaaka which means catastrophe.

In response to this polemic, Member of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives (DPR) of PKS Party Faction, Hidayat Nur Wahid (HNW) suggested that the new halal logo issued by the Ministry of Religion should use the halal logo of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

"In the JPH Law there is no order to radically change the existing logo. It doesn't exist. Therefore, it is wise to continue with the previous one," said Hidayat in Jakarta, Friday, March 18.

Moreover, Hidayat continued, the discussion regarding the change in the halal logo did not involve the DPR as a working partner of the Ministry of Religion. In fact, the socialization of the new logo uses a budget that needs parliamentary approval.

"The Ministry of Religion should have brought this change to the DPR, discussed it with the DPR, but this was never discussed with the DPR. This socialization (of the new halal logo) requires a budget and so on," explained Hidayat, who is familiarly called HNW.

The Deputy Chairperson of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) said that the halal logo in many countries includes halal writing in Arabic with very clear texts so that people can easily find and see halal readings. Meanwhile, green is a color that is generally understood as a symbol of the color of Muslims.

"But the current logo is not easy to read, nor is it common. Moreover, the purple color is not generally understood as a symbol of the Islamic religion. So I hope that this polemic will end soon," said HNW.

HNW added, the use of halal writing with khot naskhi is also important to make it easier for business actors to export. With clear halal writing, anyone will easily know the halalness of a product.

Therefore, HNW hopes that, in the next meeting with the DPR, the Ministry of Religion can accommodate various objections to the new halal logo that it has issued.

Moreover, said HNW, currently the country is also faced with the problem of rising prices for various basic necessities, such as cooking oil, eggs, chilies, and others. In the midst of this problem, the Ministry of Religion should not add to the chaos by creating controversy.

"In the closest working meeting with the Ministry of Religion, this can be discussed again so that this controversy can be corrected. Because of this controversy, the focus has changed. From what should have been focused on the availability of halal food, it has become a polemic about this logo. Its substance has been neglected," said HNW.