Regarding Halal Booster Vaccines, Muslim Consumers Urge The Ministry Of Health To Obey Supreme Court Decisions

Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) for Fatwa Asrorun Niam Sholeh (second right) with Secretary General Amirsyah Tambunan (second left) / Via ANTARA

JAKARTA - Executive Director of the Indonesian Muslim Consumers Foundation (YKMI) Ahmad Himawan urged the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) to comply with the decision of the Supreme Court (MA) regarding halal vaccines for boosters.

"We support the vaccination program, but we also ask the Minister of Health to be tolerant by meeting the need for halal vaccines and this is already protected by law," he said in a written statement in Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, July 14.

Himawan emphasized that YKMI as an institution that protects consumers continues to monitor, advocate and educate about the halalness of a product/service, including halal vaccines.

YKMI has filed a lawsuit against the Minister of Health for ignoring the Supreme Court's Decision Number 31P/HUM/2022 regarding halal vaccines. The lawsuit was registered at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) with case number 176/G/2022/PTUN.JKT.

According to YKMI's attorney, Asban Sibagariang, the Minister of Health's decision clearly ignores the Supreme Court's decision on halal vaccines. "The Supreme Court's decision confirms that the government is obliged to guarantee the halalness of the vaccine, but the Ministry of Health still includes non-halal vaccines in it," he emphasized.

He explained that the Kepmenkes stipulates about 11 types of vaccines used by the government for vaccination. Meanwhile, there are only three types of halal vaccines.

"Obviously ignoring the Supreme Court's decision," he also said.

In addition, the Kepmenkes was issued after the Supreme Court's decision, but did not take the Supreme Court's decision into consideration.

"We hope that the Administrative Court can immediately prioritize this lawsuit so that it can be carried out quickly, because these non-halal vaccines continue to be given to Muslims who make up the majority of the population in this country," he also said.