Much to love: Visitors taking a boat ride in a scenic lake at Gunung Lang Recreational Park. Its 260-million-year-old limestone hills make Ipoh a gem with beautiful natural surroundings. — Filepic/The Star

LET’S face the facts about Ipoh. Perak’s capital is still struggling to reinvent itself after having lost its shine following the collapse of the tin mining industry.

It didn’t help that the opening of the North-South Expressway in 1981 saw most people choosing to bypass Ipoh and drive straight north or south.

But there are still many who have chosen to move to Ipoh for what it offers: a slower pace of life, cultural offerings such as food, affordability, the hospitality of its people, and its cleanliness.

Certainly, the nightlife and shopping are not reasons to keep going back to Ipoh. Instead, it’s the centuries-old shophouses in the Old Town, natural and historical sites, especially its 260-million-year-old limestone hills, caves and jungles, that visitors want.

The relaxed life is the attraction. Many of my friends from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor have chosen to retire in Ipoh, also because of its lower cost of living.

It has become a gem in its own way with beautiful natural surroundings while being just about a two-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur.

So the last thing people want is for Ipoh to become another concrete jungle like New York City. What on earth was Ipoh Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin thinking when he said recently that Ipoh could become another Big Apple?

He reportedly said residents of Ipoh must have the right attitude to reflect the international recognition the city is receiving.

“People are looking at Ipoh; therefore, we need to do better,” he said.

Ipoh should not be a New York, not even a Kuala Lumpur or a version of George Town.

The silver state has its own strong distinct character.

The comparison with New York is far-fetched and impractical. The comparison is also a bad one because New York is not well-run. It may look glamorous in the movies but its transport system, especially the subway, has long been in shambles, with a host of well-known issues from homeless people to drugs and crime.

The New York Times reported that “New York City, for all its glory, is facing many problems: record levels of homelessness; a budget teetering on the brink; stubborn crime rates. But it also has a problem small in size too: rats. Millions of them.”

The Big Apple is also one of the world’s most expensive cities in the world, with an acute housing problem. Ipoh’s Mayor could have made a much more humble and practical comparison: Adelaide in Australia is a possible example to emulate. In comparison with Sydney and Melbourne, it is always dismissed as a sleepy hollow, but there is really nothing wrong with that.

It has excellent education facilities with most parents believing their teenage children should be sent to universities there without big city distractions.

Supported by good facilities and a well-run administration, Adelaide is in many ways like Ipoh, with plenty of greenery around, and hidden gems to be found a short drive outside the city.

Perak can also promote itself more as a preferred choice for tertiary education as there are at least 12 universities in the state, with four in Ipoh itself.

It should also push to have more branch campuses of international universities.

Another possible Australian city to benchmark against could be Perth, which is probably the nearest to Malaysia, and is known for its quiet and laid-back lifestyle that provides opportunities for work-life balance.

There are also plenty of Chinese cities which have already bypassed New York, London, and Paris in attractiveness and their vast network of public transport.

These are also safer in comparison with big cities in the United States and Europe but the drawback in these Chinese cities is their huge population and competitiveness.

Ipoh needs to sell itself better. In fact, Perak needs to sell itself better.

As Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah said in his book, Globalisation: Perak’s Rise, Relative Decline, and Regeneration, the state’s biggest problem is that it has not progressed as much as Johor, Penang, and Selangor, experiencing slower structural transformation, while those other states have seen rapid industrial development.

Penang, for example, had already set up a free-trade zone as early as 1970, and started setting up assembly plants then, creating jobs on a large scale and attracting workers from neighbouring states, including Perak.

Penang has gone up in value as it has become the centre for the production of semiconductor microchips.

“As gaps in income and job opportunities with neighbouring states widened, Perak began to lose population. A negative-feedback loop has been created in which a shrinking base of human capital has narrowed economic opportunities and has propagated further out-migration of talent that the state so badly needs,’’ the Asia-Europe Institute said.

Perak began to start relying on the export of agricultural and manufactured goods, tourism, and education but this was not sufficient.

Sultan Nazrin Shah has compared Perak with the town of Cornwall in Britain and Pittsburgh in the United States.

Cornwall’s last operational tin mine closed in 1998, leaving it as one of the poorest counties.

Between 1961 and 2011, it had one of the highest levels of emigration in Britain but Cornwall has worked hard to rebrand itself. It has a university with research strengths in engineering, the sciences, and renewable energy through the University of Exeter’s branch campus in west Cornwall.

Mining companies have begun exploring for lithium and copper there.

Perak, especially Ipoh, needs to capitalise on what it has, in terms of tourism.

Day trippers will not help the state in terms of supporting the hotels and restaurants in a big way. They are merely visitors, not tourists who spend money and stay in hotels.

Its activities are not sufficiently publicised although 2024 is Visit Perak Year. There seems to be a lack of coordination among stakeholders.

Mayor Rumaizi, however, was right to point out that China has leaped very far in the past two decades, and there is no reason why Ipoh cannot do the same in terms of mindsets and development.

And Ipoh must be commended for its “Doughnut Economics” ambition.

It received the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award recently for its efforts to transition from a resource-intensive economy to a regenerative model focused on health, waste management, and ecotourism, aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The “Doughnut Economy” is an alternative economic system for a future that meets every person’s basic needs while safeguarding the health of the living world. The visual framework for such sustainable development is shaped like a doughnut according to the book by Kate Raworth, Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist.

Ipoh is the first city in Asia to receive this accolade. Well done.

There is still a silver lining for the state. It just needs to sell its narrative better and more effectively.

One thing it does not need to be is another New York, that’s for certain.

All hands on deck: Volunteers Farah Ismail (right) and Christina Yoong joining the Malaysia Clean-Up Day 2024 event in Petaling Jaya last week. However, every day should be a clean-up day, says the writer. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star

IT’S not a pleasant job but someone has to do it. Since assuming the post of Housing and Local Government Minister, Nga Kor Ming has made cleaning up our toilets and streets among his key priorities.

He isn’t the first to do so, as previous officials from the ministry have also tried. The late Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew, then Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister, took his job so seriously that he was nicknamed the Toilet King during his term from 1990 to 2010.

He was even inducted into the World Toilet Organisation Hall of Fame for his contribution towards improving and promoting the clean toilet culture.

In 2008, the Sarawak politician was quoted as saying that the days of dirty toilets were numbered. But while it sounded good in the media, it was too much of a tall order.

Until his demise in 2010, he failed to flush away these dirty toilets.

To be fair, there have been improvements at most shopping malls, upmarket restaurants, and to some extent, even the rest and recreation stops along our highways, but most of our coffee shops remain an embarrassment.

It is common to walk into these eateries to find toilet rolls missing with spider webs on the walls and grills.

We brag much about our Malaysian food but unfortunately many of the toilets in these food outlets are in disgraceful condition.

There is even a Malaysian social influencer, @marissa.wwc, who does reviews of our toilets on Instagram. It’s called “Berak Bersama Marisa Wong” – our local authorities should check out her videos. They may spot some familiar places, including tourist sites.

We are coming to the end of 2024 and Nga is now a man on a mission. He wants public toilets to be clean, attractive, and fragrant by next year, to improve the country’s image, especially among foreign tourists. For him, a clean toilet must meet the criteria of BMW – Bersih, Menawan, Wangi.

It’s all part of his preparations for Visit Malaysia Year 2026, which is just 15 months away.

Nga must be commended for his efforts, not just to clean up toilets but the country as a whole.

As part of his zeal to fight litterbugs, his ministry is in the process of amending the 1976 Local Government Act to incorporate community service as a form of punishment for serial litterbugs.

“If we receive approval from the Cabinet and Parliament, the new laws will mean that repeat offenders will not only be fined but will also be required to perform community service.

“Those facing these penalties may be required to wear special uniforms and sweep the streets, or even clean toilets for a minimum of two to four hours,” the minister told reporters after launching Malaysia Clean-Up Day: Mega Cleaning Programme in conjunction with World Clean-Up Day 2024 at Central Market in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Malaysia Clean-Up Day is a joint initiative by his ministry, the Federal Territories Department, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall, with strategic cooperation from PR1MA Corporation Malaysia and Malakoff Corporation Berhad through Alam Flora Sdn Bhd.

The mega cleaning and community service programme has been conducted at 649 locations nationwide, involving various levels of organisations, including state governments, local authorities, ministries, schools, fire stations, PR1MA Residences, People’s Housing Project areas, public parks, neighbourhood associations, and non-governmental organisations.

Nga has rightly said that any form of littering is unacceptable, regardless of whether it is done by a child or the elderly.

The big question, though, is how these laws can be effectively enforced given that local governments, especially in the cities, simply do not have the manpower to carry out the checks? There are laws for almost everything, but many exist only on paper.

Haven’t we all seen rubbish piled up right under a council sign declaring fines for littering?

Most people who stay in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor will also tell you that many neighbourhoods, especially their back alleys, have become dirtier due to negligence.

If Nga is not to end up as another minister who failed to achieve his target, even with community service punishment, he needs a whole-of-society effort, and solid backing from all Malaysians. It must be a collective responsibility.

It doesn’t help that contractors working for our local authorities are slacking on their jobs. These contractors, who are paid to clean up our streets, are doing a real lousy job.

It is common to see our drains clogged up and strewn with rubbish, while the gutters stink. Malaysia gets a good amount of rain and there is no excuse for smelly and clogged-up gutters.

So why are our alleys and streets dirty? Blaming the local authorities is the easy part but we are all responsible for this pathetic situation.

The fingers should not just be pointed at local authorities but also the residents, restaurant owners, and workers who treat their neighbourhood as a dumping ground.

I really doubt if our elected representatives and local authority officials have taken the trouble to walk along our streets. And how many of us would take the trouble to file a report with the councils, although it can be done easily online now, but prefer to whine or let the media do the job for us?

Malaysians are too polite, and we avoid confrontations.

None of us would walk up to a restaurant owner or cashier to tell them if their toilets are bad, even though we have the right to give them a stern ticking off as we are the customers.

Malaysians take for granted that coffee shops need not provide toilet rolls. The local authorities must enforce all these rules as part of the annual health requirements for their business licence renewals.

Surely this is not too hard to enforce. We also want to make sure that corrupt health and local officials do not use this as an opportunity to make a quick buck on the side.

Nga should also seek the support of mosques, churches, and temples to back his campaign to clean up our streets and toilets because it is the right thing to do – not just to impress tourists.

These places of worship can help campaign for the need for waste management and environmental cleanliness as it is a requirement in all religions.

We could even take a leaf from Rwanda’s playbook.

In the east African country, the people are required to take part in a national clean up on the last Saturday of every month. It is one of the reasons that the country is renowned for its cleanliness. It was one of the first countries to ban single-use plastic bags and bottles, way back in 2008.

In 2018, I visited Rwanda and saw how they keep the country clean and the strict enforcement against rubbish – visitors are searched for plastics in their luggage at the entry points.

Nga’s mission must also get the support of the schools, and start on our young people.

Our children must be involved in collecting rubbish on school grounds to highlight the point that it isn’t just the job of the cleaners.

School toilets remain nightmares because there are culprits who don’t flush while urinals are often overflowing. Nga has rightly said that “everyone may be educated and have good manners, but personal awareness stems from responsibility”.

There are certain realities that we must face – with rapid urbanisation, the waste generated will increase sharply and there must be proper and efficient waste management systems in tandem.

With VMY2026 coming, we will see an upsurge in visitors but are those who manage our tourist spots ready to keep their places clean? They should not wait for 2026.

Awareness campaigns, stricter regulations, and better waste management practices must be an ongoing process. Let’s clean up Malaysia.

Customs legend: The feisty Anis Rizana is known for her strict approach and compliance management. — Bernama

DATUK Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin has become somewhat of a legend among the staff of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM), although it’s been only a year since she took over the post of director-general.

The country’s first woman Customs chief is known for her strict approach and compliance management.

Accompanied by just her special officer and a bodyguard, she still continues to find time to make regular spot checks to ensure her orders are being carried out.

There is no accompanying entourage and certainly no pre-announced alerts to the branches.

Her first such check was on Sept 27, 2023 – two days after her appointment – when she turned up at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to see for herself the workflow of her officers. She had not even received her uniform at that time and most of the startled officers did not even recognise her. Some were not even aware of her appointment.

Anis Rizana faced her first test when she immediately had to deal with a high-profile case that went viral – the seizure of 622kg of methamphetamine by the Australian Border Force from Malaysia to Australia on Oct 12, 2023, which is one of the largest cases ever in history.

“From that moment, I realised the challenge I had ahead: to build a strong team capable of fulfilling the responsibility of revenue collection, providing trade facilitation, and effectively safeguarding the borders with efficiency, agility, and integrity,” she said.

Anis Rizana declared openly very early in her job that she would not protect officers or personnel found guilty of corruption and abusing their power for personal gain, describing these offences as “unforgivable’’.

At the top of her agenda is corruption. She said corruption has not only tarnished the country’s image and reputation but also affected other staff who are honest and dedicated.

In June, three Customs officers were arrested with several million in cash during a probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), relating to smuggling activities in Port Klang. It’s a blot when other honest officers put their lives on the line while on duty.

In June, smugglers had fired at a Customs officer along the Thai border in Kelantan. We still haven’t forgotten the late deputy director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim who was gunned down in Putrajaya in 2013 following a probe into car smuggling activities in Langkawi.

One year later, Anis Rizana has earned herself a reputation, and her stripes, but continues to make spot checks.

One officer told this writer: “Her pictures are now everywhere and, in one case, even on the screen of an officer’s desktop. No one wants to be caught unawares.’’

He said those who asked her indifferently who she was must possibly be still reeling from shock. Anyone meeting this feisty Ipoh-born woman would immediately notice one thing – she talks very fast.

She acts fast too, as the media and officials can verify. She starts work immediately after her morning prayers when her text messages start flying out.

Since assuming her post, the orders given out by her included requiring all Customs officers stationed at all entry points, particularly at Port Klang, to conduct 100% inspections of import and export containers.

Then there is the introduction of the Import-Export Document Management System, which functions as a support system for the import-export assessment process at the Customs entry point in Port Klang, Selangor, starting from the second quarter of 2024.

This system, which will be gradually expanded nationwide, serves as a platform for uploading and reviewing supporting documents once the Customs Declaration Form is submitted by the importer/shipping agent through the system.

In short, it eliminates the manual process and automatically takes away any discrepancies. This provides seamless trade facilitation for importers or shipping agents.

“At the same time, it is an initiative to prevent the consolidation of power in any individual during the screening process of Customs declaration forms,’’ she said.

To put it simply – she wants to stop any opportunity for corruption.

Anis Rizana has a degree in business administration from the Western Michigan University in the United States and a Masters in Business Administration from Universiti Putra Malaysia, but she decided to join MACC, where she served for two years from 2020.

She has also introduced 66 high-tech scanner machines using artificial intelligence at the country’s entry points as well as implementing the use of body-worn cameras.

“A total of 60 units were allocated throughout Malaysia, covering five locations as part of a pilot project for JKDM, namely Putrajaya, KLIA Terminal 1, KLIA Terminal 2, Selangor, and Johor.”

The Customs Department has also acquired enforcement operation vehicles – 28 Isuzu D-Max vehicles were allocated, 19 for use by the Enforcement Operations Branch, and nine for the K9 and Drug Detection Dog Units nationwide.

To further enhance the department’s effectiveness in curbing drug smuggling activities, 20 new drug detection dogs have been deployed across Malaysia.

Anis Rizana accompanying Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan to inspect the AI-equipped baggage scanner at KLIA Terminal 1 recently. — Bernama

Her first-year accolades included the Customs Department achieving a major success with the seizure of 15 containers containing 150.26 million cigarettes, 30 tonnes of tobacco, and 32.5 tonnes of plastic waste, valued at RM118.18mil. This was the largest seizure made by Customs this year.

Then, there is the success of the Enforcement Division, which handled 5,196 cases as of Aug 31, with the value of seized goods, including duties/taxes, amounting to RM1.25bil.

This represents a 42.47% increase from the RM884.26mil for the same period in 2023. According to the recent Illicit Cigarettes Study report, the presence of counterfeit cigarettes in the market showed a decline from 56.4% – almost six of every 10 cigarettes in the market being fake – at the beginning of the year to 54.8% in May.

Bernama also reported that the total revenue collection of the Customs Department has reached RM41.68bil as of Aug 31 this year, far higher than the RM36.13bil for the same period last year.

“This is a remarkable achievement, and it shows that JKDM is on the right track,” said Anis Rizana in the Ruang Bicara programme produced by Bernama TV recently. “[Our] strategy has yielded results.”

Commenting on this year’s revenue collection target, she expressed confidence that Customs will be able to achieve the RM56bil target set by the Finance Ministry.

In the past year, the department managed to collect revenue of RM55.1bil, some 3% higher than the projected rate.

The Customs department has an unusual role – it enforces laws, collects indirect taxes, and facilitates international trade. Other enforcement agencies like the police don’t have to worry about revenue targets.

But the department needs to beef up its manpower to stay effective.

As at Aug 31, its total number of staff members was 14,139 – a small number indeed for a department with such huge responsibilities.

It could also lose over 5,000 staff members to the newly-created Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency under the purview of the Home Ministry.

But the serving Customs officers, especially the men, are getting accustomed to a tough talking and tough acting lady boss.

REALITY has finally bitten PAS painfully.

It cannot hope to form the Federal Government without support from the non-Malay electorate, including those from Sabah and Sarawak.

And it knows that even many Muslim voters in the peninsula, especially those in urban and semi-urban areas, find the PAS brand of politics a little too extreme.

This admission was made by PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man who told the recent PAS annual gathering that it cannot capture Putrajaya with Malay votes alone.

All political party gatherings have plenty of chest-thumping rhetoric and drummed up optimism for the diehard delegates.

The Islamist party’s general assembly in Temerloh, Pahang, was no exception, with plenty of hot air.

But PAS has a problem.

It cannot decide what it should do next to convince non-Muslims that it is worthy of their votes.

Non-Muslims, especially the Chinese, are practical people. They look at PAS and they only see politicians in robes, serbans (turbans), beards, and goatees, with religious studies as their only credentials. Chinese voters are unlikely to be inspired by having theologians run the country.

Call it prejudice or whatever, but the constant harsh statements from PAS have not helped to improve how non-Malays see the party. The ‘’Green Wave’’ – a term to describe the growing strength of PAS – has probably frightened or alienated non-Muslims even more.

It also doesn’t help that at PAS general assemblies, there is a glaring absence of discussions of substantial issues like the economy, growth, tackling the cost of living, boosting the ringgit, digital challenges, and how PAS can take Malaysia to the next level of development.

Instead, party leaders continue to be obsessed about projecting themselves as puritanical and pious, with little knowledge or interest in handling development priorities.

The biggest comic relief this time came from Selangor PAS Youth leader Aubidullah Fahim Ibrahim who proposed that members marry non-Malays to increase support for the party, reportedly saying “a mixed marriage would not just be able to secure one vote but hundreds from the non-Malay community’’.

PAS youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden urged members to start learning vernacular languages to help the party get closer to non-Malay communities.

He said the ability to converse in two languages can be a powerful tool for PAS members in wooing support from non-Malay voters.

At least Afnan spoke some sense. But the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Mahkota by-election, Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah, has already beaten the PAS man to it. Syed Hussien has an advantage because of his Chinese school education: He speaks Mandarin fluently.

The Chinese community just hopes that leaders from both PAS and Umno will stop talking of shutting down vernacular schools and not just use Chinese language as a tool to win votes during elections.

While some were talking about how to woo the non-Malays, one PAS delegate loudly proclaimed that their next target would be the Malay majority state of Pahang, and vowed to shut down all gaming outlets in the state, including the Genting Highlands casino.

Most Chinese voters have reacted with alarm at the statement. While most Chinese do not encourage gambling, we tolerate this game of risks as long as there is a level of self-restraint.

It is common to see card games with small bets during Chinese New Year while mahjong is encouraged as a pastime for senior citizens to keep their minds sharp. Naturally, there are bets involved.

Eye on the future: PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang giving his speech at the recent PAS annual gathering in Temerloh. — Bernama

Pahang PAS deputy commissioner Andansura Rabu quickly moved to soothe ruffled feathers, saying the decision may involve the Federal Government and thus won’t be easy.

Gaming licenses come under the purview of Putrajaya and until PAS forms the next Federal Government on its own, this remains just plenty of hot air.

In July, the High Court in Alor Setar ruled that the Kedah PAS government needed to uphold consistency with the Federal Constitution, which says only the Federal Government has the authority to enact laws and regulations concerning gambling.

The High Court also ordered the Kedah state government to compensate STM Lottery Sdn Bhd and Magnum Corporation Sdn Bhd, the companies behind Sports Toto and Magnum 4D respectively, for the losses they suffered when the state closed their outlets.

As expected, the state government has said that it will take the matter to the Court of Appeals.

Perlis PAS delegate Saifizi Saidon reportedly devoted his speech to calling for action to be taken against certain party leaders, especially those who shook hands with women. He also attacked those who went to karaoke lounges.

To make things worse, Terengganu has banned women from taking part in gymnastics and swimming events, because of “non-syariah compliant” outfits.

Recently, the Terengganu Amateur Swimming Association had to apologise for taking part in the Malaysia Games despite getting approval from the national association and the athletes’ families.

Political observers who have followed the PAS general assembly would have noticed clearly that the agenda of the party hasn’t changed. It has probably got worse with added race and religious narratives.

Its past presidents, like the late Kelantan Mentri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and the late Datuk Dr Fadzil Noor, focused on religion as the main thrust of the party’s struggle. As in any democracy, PAS has a right to its political ambitions, and it has been fairly consistent.

It has grown in clout and has a sizeable number of Members of Parliament, with three states under its administration. Despite having 43 MPs and being the party with the largest number of lawmakers in the Dewan Rakyat, PAS has reached its limits. That is why it has to win over non-Muslim voters.

But how can party president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang expect his party to endear itself to non-Malays when he described non-Muslim leaders in government as becoming arrogant and irresponsible as well as seeking to play on racial and religious sentiments?

He also claimed that Malay-Muslim leaders in the government are unable to “control” their fellow non-Muslim leaders.

PAS is upset that it was dismissed as being Taliban-like and its style of running state governments equated with that of the Afghan leaders. That may be an unfair comparison, but the pronouncements of its leaders have not helped shed such perceptions.

To be fair, there are some PAS leaders with professional backgrounds and credentials, seemingly giving it a progressive image, and who prefer to talk to the media on issues like the economy, investments, and good governance.

One shining example is Terengganu Mentri Besar Dr Ahmad Shamsuri Mokhtar, an aerospace engineer, but he is not among those who call the shots in the party. That is done by the ultra-conservative leaders, who continue to spook non-Muslims with their declared aim of turning Malaysia into an Islamic State.

These are the guys who issue cut-and-paste statements with a list of festivals and events that they wish to ban, with calls for gender segregation, and a demand to stop “hedonism”, a popular agenda they like to use without even understanding the word.

Tuan Ibrahim has proudly asked PAS members to organise visits to Kelantan to see the development there for themselves.

This is ironic since Kelantan is certainly not a shining example for anyone. After 34 years of PAS rule, it has remained one of the worst run states in this country where one cannot even get decent clean water from the taps.

While the posturing by PAS leaders could have been done to retain its core base, it really needs to embrace diversity and to champion the rights of non-Muslims to win them over.

Mass appeal: There was a lot of anticipation for Uncle Roger’s first fried rice restaurant, which finally opened last week at Pavilion KL. Now many are eagerly waiting for it to get its halal certification. — Instagram

WHEN Religious Minister Datuk Dr Naim Mokhtar Abdullah announced that Jakim was mulling over requiring all restaurants except those serving pork and liquor to have halal certification, he probably did not expect to run into a storm.

After all, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia’s proposal did not affect outlets that strictly serve non-Muslims.

Jakim must have observed the mushrooming of restaurants that loudly proclaim to be “Muslim friendly’’ with “no pork, no lard” signs while some shout that they are run by “Chinese Muslims’.’

A closer look, however, would reveal that most of these restaurants, while having visible Muslims staff, do not have halal accreditation. These include those owned by China-born Muslims now operating in Malaysia, especially the popular Lanzhou pulled mee eateries.

“Pork free” is not tantamount to halal, something many non-Muslims may not understand.

Nevertheless, many non-Muslim restaurant owners now see the upside of going pork-free, or better still, to be properly halal certified, because the reality is that 70% of the population are bumiputras, and mainly Muslims.

The Chinese population is shrinking – they make up only 25% of Malaysians now – and will continue to slide further in coming years.

Even without Jakim’s prompting, more hotels and restaurants will opt to be halal-compliant. And a certificate still does not guarantee that these eateries will be fully patronised by Muslim customers.

For businessmen targeting mass and multiple stores, getting a halal certification is surely the right move.

It is also easier to cater and supply to multinational corporations, government, and chain stores who insist on halal-certified food. Being pork-free is just not good enough.

Halal is a way for Muslims to uphold their religious obligations, purity, and lifestyle. It is not just about food but extends beyond that. This is something that non-Muslims must understand as it is a very fundamental aspect of being a Muslim.

Naim, however, would be better advised to engage restaurant owners, openly and privately, to work out how the process of applying for these halal certificates can be simplified and sped up.

It may only cost RM100 a year or RM1,000 annually for the certificate but the additional costs for renovations to fulfil other requirements can deter many small-time businessmen.

Then there are those who fork out huge sums to consultants to help them apply for these certificates although there is no requirement to do so. Still, businessmen prefer to pay someone who knows how to navigate the bureaucracy. I am told that costs between RM4,000 and RM8,000.

Those who have applied for these certificates say they had to handle additional costs of between RM2,000 and RM5,000 a month, depending on the scale of the business.

Let’s admit it. Applying for a halal certificate is not a straightforward process as the average wait can be between four and six months.

Just last week, comedian/chef Nigel Ng, aka Uncle Roger, who has just opened a fried rice restaurant at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, released a video appealing to Jakim to speed up his halal certification application.

Some businessmen have also made allegations about how approvals can be sped up by other means, but until they actually lodge reports with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC), these remain substantiated claims.

The fastest is said to be three months – if all the documents are ready and an experienced team is able to liaise with Jakim.

The Halal Development Corporation Bhd (HDC) and Jakim have also announced moves to make the certification process easier, specifically in the pre-approval and post-approval process.

Jakim has pledged to reduce the processing time to just 23 working days. Upon approval, HDC will make halal certification convenient. This is a move in the right direction.

It is understandable that the process of auditing and checking the premises and the supply chain can take time but it is good that Jakim understands the need to improve its performance too.

For many restaurants, the challenges include sourcing for raw material to make them halal certified, which means minor tweaks to their recipes. But with halal raw materials now easily available, according to restaurant owners I speak to, it is not a valid excuse.

There is also the need for additional manpower as many even engage a halal executive, but in-house administration staff trained to handle Jakim requirements can also manage this.

For example, a popular bubble tea chain owner said his company needed about two months to apply for a new menu, but any additional new items only took an extra month.

For these eateries, though, the revenue returns after the wait and additional expenditure have been worth it. They have seen their customers increase in number, especially Muslims, assured by the Jakim logo.

The consumer power of Muslims must never be underestimated. Just look at what happened with their boycott of Starbucks and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

It cannot be denied that halal certification can generate employment and bring substantial revenue as well as new opportunities. But it must be a business decision, not a law.

Jakim was set up as a government agency to determine the development and progress of Islamic affairs as well as to help formulate and harmonise the necessary laws and regulations.

It answers to the National Council of Islamic Affairs, now headed by Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak. It was previously chaired by Selangor’s Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah for two years.

It has to be remembered that Naim’s proposal has not even been discussed at the Cabinet level or among the Rulers.

Naim has good intentions – to protect Muslims as halal is a sensitive matter – but he must have overlooked the fact that many Indian-run restaurants do not serve pork or beef.

They are vegetarian restaurants, and while the raw materials they use may not meet Jakim’s standards, it does not make sense to insist that they apply for halal certification.

It’s the same with Chinese vegetarian shops as even with halal certificates, it is unlikely that Muslims will patronise these eateries. Their dishes probably will not suit the taste buds of most Malays.

Surely it will be odd to have Jakim officers, who are Muslims, carrying out inspections and imposing their standards and requirements on such shops, which have Hindu and Buddhists values.

Then there are the thousands of kopitiams all over the country, especially near government offices and police stations. They are mostly run by ageing mum-and-dad teams and sell only roti bakar, eggs, and coffee.

They don’t sell pork because their clients are almost all Muslims. Does Jakim really want to impose the rule on them? They will likely just close shop and retire, which would be sad. They are so much an integral part of Malaysian life and culture.

Such eateries also exist in small towns and are melting pots where older people of all faiths and races still come together, although they have become much less distinct now.

How can we insist that they renovate their kitchens, supply entries, and have a new set of utensils and wares when they probably have only five tables in their shops?

There are hundreds of thousands of non-Muslim stalls and small shops selling pork-free beef noodles, fish-paste yong tau foo, Thai food, yoo tiao, chee cheong fun, tau foo fah, seafood porridge, fish head curry, grilled fish, and nasi lemak.

Jakim is not a sacred entity that cannot be criticised, and Naim, as a learned scholar and not a politician, would certainly have understood that.

But our politicians, unfortunately, cannot communicate well. Maybe it’s intentional because they think that raising the political temperature will make them champions of their respective races.

When DAP Member of Parliament Teresa Kok made a dismissive remark about the Jakim proposal – saying it would make Malaysia a “laughing stock abroad’’ – she should have been prepared for the backlash from Muslims.

Last week, she met with HDC officials, something she should have done first to understand the matter better.

Instead, she provided Umno Youth chief Dr Muhammad Akmal Saleh with fodder to stoke the fire. In his trademark toxic and uncouth manner, he resorted to name calling, labelling Kok a “nonya tua” and wanted to “paste a non-halal logo on her forehead”.

The Seputeh MP now finds herself being investigated by the police. Surely serial rabble-rousers like Dr Akmal and some religious preachers should also get the same treatment.

Rightly or wrongly, the police have been criticised for having been swift in investigating certain cases and personalities but dragging their feet on others, giving the impression that they have selective priorities.

In Kok’s case, the standard operating procedure is that the police, by law, must investigate once reports have been lodged. They cannot refuse to carry out a probe.

Some of our politicians are incapable of taking part in a discourse civilly and they are the ones who are usually to blame for stirring up controversies that lead to unnecessary ill-will that divide Malaysians.

It is not correct to suggest that non-Muslims should refrain from speaking about this issue – as amplified by some politicians – as the proposal directly affects many non-Muslim food operators, with huge implications.

Malaysians are mature enough to discuss any contentious issue in a respectful and convincing manner. Let there be no compulsion and coercion.

Businessmen are realistic people. They will understand the fast-changing demographics. But then, not everyone has the means to make an immediate change.

Diverse culture: The 67th National Day 2024 celebration at Dataran Putrajaya also included dragon and lion dances as well as urumi drumming and the bhangra dance (below), many of which making their national parade debut that day. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

THE National Day parade in Putrajaya on Aug 31 continues to be a popular conversation topic although it has been more than a week.

That’s simply because the nation continues to be divided by race and religious issues.

When the rare occasion takes place with diversity being openly displayed, there is a sense of acknowledgement of multiculturalism and multiracialism.

The Madani government, which has been facing criticism for being slow to institute reforms and fulfil electoral promises, deserves credit for putting on the best National Day parade ever.

Diverse traditional attire, culture and dances from various ethnic groups were showcased with over 800 participants dressed up in traditional costumes, complete with accessories.

The contingent included kompang performances, dragon and lion dances, a chingay parade, urumi drumming as well as bhangra and peacock dances, many of which making their national parade debut that day.

No ethnic group, including those from Sabah and Sarawak, was left out from the parade. There were even 10 warrior horses from the Bajau group from Sabah.

There was even a display of traditional costumes of the Orang Asli, the Siamese and the Peranakan communities, reflecting Malaysia’s diverse make-up.

The Malaysian Madani Community Contingent parade was led by the National Unity Ministry and certainly they stole the hearts of many Malaysians with its vibrance.

At the Bernama office, the home of the Malaysian National News Network, it was heartening to see National Day celebrated in a unique way.

Muslim women in tudung wore ethnic costumes from Sabah and Sarawak, Chinese women were in sarees and Malay men in Chinese clothes.

Malay staff also performed an improvised lion dance as their colleagues cheered.

At 63, I can safely say that I have watched many National Day celebrations, right from the time when the event was broadcast live over RTM in black and white.

Younger Malaysians may not realise but at one time in our nation’s history, there were politicians who openly frowned at lion dances being performed at public events.

I remember being involved in helping to organise the Mooncake Lantern Festival on campus in the 1980s and being “advised’’ by the university student affairs department not to have “too many lions” on stage.

How lion dances could be deemed as sensitive is incredulous but that was the toxicity then.

And now, Malaysia and China have signed an agreement to jointly nominate the lion dance to be listed for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) cultural heritage, as well as Malaysia’s membership in the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia.

Kudos must go to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who was tasked with organising the National Day parade, for taking this year’s parade to a higher level.

The expectations will certainly be higher next year and as expected, there will always be criticism as well.

The human graphic display on National Day displayed greetings in Malay, Chinese and Tamil – another first – but the fake information on social media which went viral was that only Chinese was used.

Then, there was a comment over a Malay news portal on Aug 31, titled “Jangan sampai budaya Melayu hilang di dunia’’ expressing concern that the Malay culture and use of Bahasa Melayu were eroding with less usage.

But in an ironic way, the PAS governments in Kelantan and Terengganu have been the ones who are responsible for killing off several Malay cultural activities.

Even the elegant baju kebaya is in danger of becoming extinct as PAS equates Arabisation with Islamisation at the expense of Malay identity.

The position of Islam and the special rights of Malays is clearly stated in the Federal Constitution and no one should question it.

The long and short of it is that it has not been easy for the Madani government as the main party of Pakatan Harapan is Parti Keadilan Rakyat, a multi-racial party.

For the first time in the country’s history, a multi-racial political party helms the government but the reality is also that the country’s demographic has changed dramatically since 1957 with 70% of the population being Malays and bumiputras.

The government must balance the demands and expectations of the country’s electorate in a delicate and sensible way. Managing race relations is never easy.

After over six decades of independence, Malaysia is at a crossroads, and while we rather stick to niceties at a time of celebration, many of us have also wondered where Malaysia is heading.

The country’s independence would not have been achieved without the efforts of the Malays, Chinese and Indians. Malaysia would not have formed without Sabah and Sarawak.

Let us reaffirm this in our textbooks, so that our young understand that Sabah and Sarawak did not join Malaysia but they helped form Malaysia as equal partners.

The country has progressed by leaps and bounds because Malaysians of all races and religions have toiled to build it.

The Malays in the police, army and civil service have kept the country safe, sound and stable, let us not forget.

By and large, Malaysians are peaceful, tolerant and moderate people, and for that, we must always be respectful of each other to keep Malaysia intact. There is no room for rabble rousers.

Politicians and religious preachers certainly should take the rap, but so could ordinary Malaysians.

Many have become brazen with racial and extreme religious views being amplified in recent years because of social media.

The government and police regularly warn of actions being taken against those who violate the 3R – race, religion and royalty – but the perception so far is that they have only acted against those who criticised the Rulers.

Former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is facing a sedition charge with the action coming swiftly following a royal rebuke.

But the nation still awaits action against religious preachers who have brazenly used religion to run down non-Muslims.

Despite numerous police reports being lodged and these recalcitrants being asked to give their statements to the police, we have not seen these cases being taken forward.

The days of politicians thumping at the rostrums, playing racial cards and displaying their political masculine postures and brandishing keris or swords, are over.

It doesn’t help and they won’t get the votes if they wish to re-invent themselves. Worse, they will lose the votes of non-Malays who will still prefer them if they remain moderates because the other political option is simply worse.

No federal government can also be formed without the support of Sabah and Sarawak, and that is a fact.

The display of diversity should not be featured only at National Day parades and tourism promotion dances. All of us should be made to feel we are Malaysian every day.

After 67 years of independence, there shouldn’t be any need to harp on race and religion, by right.

Diversity is an asset of Malaysia and it should be celebrated openly as in the National Day parade and not merely tolerated.

As if scripted, many of us are loathe to authenticate the information, and instead, simply forward it. To add insult to injury, some even included a caveat saying they weren’t sure how true the data was but shared it anyway. — The Star

MALAYSIANS found themselves in a web of fake newsmongers once again, with a series of fraudulent reports furiously making the rounds on social media, misleading many.

And as if scripted, many of us are loathe to authenticate the information, and instead, simply forward it. To add insult to injury, some even included a caveat saying they weren’t sure how true the data was but shared it anyway.

In swooped “archaic” mainstream media to handle the task of checking and dismissing this sham. No, the Prime Minister doesn’t have a Palestinian son-in-law. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is committed to the Palestinian cause but that’s not because one of his four daughters is married to a Palestinian.

The most well-known daughter, Nurul Izzah, is married to Malaysian Chinese Yin Shao Loong. Contrary to speculative belief, he isn’t related to either DAP leader Lim Guan Eng or former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The low-profile Yin is a policy researcher whose late father was a Malaysian military doctor. His great-grandfather embraced Islam and is buried in Kedah.

Nurul Nuha is married to a Malay Malaysia Airlines pilot, while her sister, Nurul llham, is married to a Japanese Pakistani. Nurul Hana is a student in the United States finalising her master’s degree.

On Aug 26, the New Straits Times was forced to expose a fraudulent news report credited to it by displaying a screen grab of the fake NST website featuring a couple at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The image of the couple was passed off as that of the PM’s daughter and his alleged Palestinian son-in-law. Instead, the screengrab is that of Malaysian Nurul Ain Haron and her Palestinian husband Mohamed AM Shaat. The picture was taken upon their arrival at KLIA Terminal One on Nov 14 last year after they were evacuated from Gaza.

If that wasn’t enough, on the same day, Universiti Malaya had to issue a statement dismissing a social media post claiming a huge cave formation exists beneath the city. The university’s geology department chief, Asso Prof Dr Meor Hakif Amir Hassan, pointed out that the university had no “renowned geologist named Dr Sarah Jamal”. Neither was there such a geologist registered with the Board of Geologists Malaysia.

The contents of the viral article weren’t based on facts but to the public, they seemed real, and many were convinced, especially following the sinkhole incident at KL’s Jalan Masjid India on Aug 23 which took a life.

“Dr Sarah Jamal” had claimed that beneath the developed Kuala Lumpur City, “lies a huge cave” which was formed millions of years ago and that “limestones had gradually eroded by the underground water which formed a large cavity under the surface”.

It was pure fantasy. It’s uncertain what the writer was smoking or drinking when composing the fake article, but it was obviously a work of fiction.

City Hall was also kept busy having to dismiss another bit of fake news: that Jalan Yap Ah Loy had been renamed Jalan Palestin.

The “news” byte even came replete with the voice of a man angrily claiming the road’s name, an honour to a famous Chinese Kapitan, had been changed.

Yap Ah Loy was an important figure in early Kuala Lumpur, and in his administrative role, he helped develop KL into a commercial and mining centre during the 19th century.

The truth is, Jalan Raja Laut 1 was renamed Jalan Palestin in 2020 at the directive of then Federal Territories minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa, now in Bersatu, during the previous administration.The fake news had triggered unnecessary disputes and ill-feelings, clearly aimed at making the Chinese community, the core support for Pakatan Harapan, turn on the PM for his commitment to the Palestinians.

It was surely a politically motivated and concerted move to attack him, and dovetails with the on-going effort to chip away at the support of the non-Muslims for the Madani government, and the Pakatan coalition especially. These detractors are using social media platforms to troll the government almost daily, whether on record or via fake news.

Unfortunately, the perception is that the government isn’t fighting back hard enough or effectively. Ironically, when these Pakatan leaders were in Opposition, they gave Barisan Nasional a hard time for using social media. But now that they’re in government, these Pakatan leaders are on the defensive instead of the offensive. They look helpless.

Perhaps they’re bogged down with government work, but if they don’t respond strongly, it will be politically costly. The Palestinian issue has certainly resonated with Malay voters, but it has not garnered the same sentiments with non-Malays, even though it’s a simple humanitarian issue.

Although only 41 injured Palestinians and 86 of their family members, including children, were brought in for medical treatment, there’s still been a political backlash with unnecessary fears created that this would lead to the flood gates opening for Palestinian refugees, with questions even raised over the need to help them.

The criticism seems ridiculous because more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 77,000 injured since the Israeli attacks. Nearly 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population has been displaced and more than 14,000 children have been killed in the war of vengeance, while over 7,000 people remain missing.

Do the maths – 41 injured Palestinians don’t amount to even 0.001% of the Palestinian casualties, killed, injured or displaced.

There’s also another misconception, or simply a fake narrative – the reason behind Malaysia helping when neighbouring Egypt has refused to aid Palestinian patients, as one Sarawakian writer wrote on a portal.

On the contrary, Egypt has allowed 40,000 family members to attend Egypt schools while over 1,000 injured Palestinians are in the United Arab Emirates, 3,000 orphans and 1,000 injured in Qatar. Saudi Arabia is hosting 1,000 family members.

The United Nations Human Rights Watch said, “Egypt’s healthcare system is strained” with “over 40 hospitals across the country treating Palestinians.”

In fact, there’s even a Palestine Hospital in Cairo that’s become a comforting refuge and community hub for displaced Palestinians.

The hospital was founded in 1979 by Dr Fathi Arafat, the late Palestinian Liberation Front leader Yasser Arafat’s brother. It is one of the services offered by the Palestinian Red Crescent in Egypt.

The narrative against the Palestinians who are here with their families is, this is the start of more coming in. Importantly, they’re not refugees, they are patients seeking medical treatment.The healthcare system in Gaza has broken down, and contrary to popular scammer clickbait, Arab countries do want to help them. The nearest country is Egypt, and it has helped the most.

Palestinians who have managed to cross over to Egypt are the lucky ones because Israel has closed its gates at the border.

Rather than believe everything circulated on social media, no matter how convincing, it’s still vital that information is verified, especially by journalists.

The government or non-governmental organisation has no plans to send Palestinians to any state outside KL. So the hysteria is quite unfounded.