Jakarta Deputy Gov Responds to Viral Non-Halal Padang Food

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria commented on the viral issue about a Padang restaurant selling pork-based food in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta. Padang food is the popular halal cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra who are mostly Muslims.

“As far as we know until today and as we usually eat at Padang restaurants, all the menus are halal. So if it is not halal, it’s beyond our control. We don’t know how come there is non-halal Padang food,” said Riza at the City Hall on Friday, June 10, 2022.

The presence of the self-proclaimed non-halal Padang restaurant met with public controversy on social media platforms. Some considered it inappropriate and disrespectful to Muslims, particularly Minang people, while some thought it was just fine.

According to Riza, all Padang restaurants should be halal. He also underlined that people are allowed to run creative culinary businesses, but they should not hurt Muslims. 

“It is feared that people eat Padang food in a restaurant which is actually haram,” Riza added.

Head of Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) Arifin stated that his side had not yet received this information. “I’ll ask officials there. We will coordinate it with regional officers,” Arifin said in a statement on Friday, June 10, 2022.

He added that the agency will first investigate the fact, examine it, and conclude whether or not it is a violation.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency’s Head of the Supervision Unit Iffan said he could not yet make any comment as his team is still looking into issues of the non-halal Padang food.

MOH. KHORY ALFARIZI

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