PHNOM PENH: Cambodia will aim to entice more Muslim tourists to the country by formalising halal certifications for restaurants and food producers.
There are currently no internationally recognised halal standards in
Although nationally recognised certification can be granted, mostly Muslims rely on trust that meat has been prepared via methods acceptable by Islamic law.
“There are a lot of visitors that are confused about halal restaurants. There are some restaurants that just put the halal logo, but the food’s not halal,” said Mao Hasan from CamTours, an agency that specialises in tours for Muslims.
Two women prepare halal sausages in the north of Phnom Penh.
He says the holiday experience for Muslim visitors can be difficult when it comes to food and prayer – in a country where less than two per cent of the population follows the Islamic faith.
As a result of the confusion – and the potential trade and investment opportunities – the government is seeking the assistance and technical support of Malaysian experts to standardise halal practices. The first certifications could be completed by mid-2017, according to Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Soeung Sophary.
“When halal practices are in place and properly regulated, they would be beneficial and supportive to the tourism industry,” she said.
A special committee has been formed, including officials from 12 ministries and the Council of Jurists, to oversee the rollout.
A cow that will soon be butchered using methods permissible by Islamic law.
It comes as local meat producer SLN Meat Supplies eyes becoming the country’s first halal meat exporter. It currently slaughters Australian cattle and is reportedly looking to make multi-million dollar inroads in markets in Malaysia and the Middle East.
Numbers of tourists from Muslim-majority nations are small but fast growing. As of September this year, more than 100,000 visitors from Malaysia visited Cambodia, a 2.9 per cent increase on 2015, while about 20,000 holidaymakers from Indonesia were registered.
Rapid growth has occurred in the number of tourists from the Middle East, including Jordan, Syria and Yemen, however the sector is still niche – only about 4,000 visitors from Muslim nations from that region have arrived so far in 2016.
“TOTALLY SINFUL”
In the north of Phnom Penh, home to many local Cham Muslims, the butchery industry is a healthy and lucrative one. Ly Ah Shi sells about 70kg of halal beef each day from her small market stall in Russey Keo.
She sells to local customers and city restaurants and says, for diligent Muslims, it can be difficult to ensure the meat they purchase is properly prepared.
“If you’re picky enough, you will find it hard to get the real halal beef. If you don’t care much, it is easy,” she said. “If they take it seriously, they won’t take a risk.”
She has faith in her meat providers but says certification would help regulate the industry properly.
Butchers in the area – who are mostly smaller operators without the desire or capability to export their products – have mixed thoughts though about the need to adhere to an international standard.
Halal dishes prepared by a restaurant in the Cambodian capital.
Sausage producer Ly Romeh said it would be “totally sinful” to deceive others about halal food, and says, for her business, self-regulation is sufficient.
For Cambodian Muslims, eating out at city restaurants remains a challenge, yet despite that, not all customers are convinced by certification and prefer to get to know restaurant owners.
“I am not worried whether it is halal or not because he (the chef) is a Muslim himself. Once we know it is a Muslim cook, we don't need to ask more,” said Un Maly, while eating at the aptly named Halal Restaurant in central Phnom Penh.
"It is ok, there no need to have it because we trust our fellow Muslim cook. Why do we need a sign,” said fellow diner Ly Amin.
The Cambodian government wants to encourage tourism by making travelling experiences easier for Muslim visitors.
The chef himself at Halal Restaurant – Mat Say Nin – says most of his customers are overseas tourists and for that reason having certification would be helpful but not essential to his business.
“It is not that important because I am a Muslim myself. People know I can cook halal food. I have been doing this for so long already. People keep coming,” he said.
It is that local knowledge that can often be missing for tourists – a gap that certification could soon address.
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