The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs Ministry is mulling whether to set a requirement for supermarkets to segregate their ‘halal’ and ‘non-halal’ trolleys as part of the business license application process moving forward.
Ministry secretary-general Alias Ahmad told Malaysiakini‘s Anne Muhammad that while the ministry does not currently regard trolley segregation as being mandatory, it nonetheless urges supermarket operators to adopt the policy voluntarily.
“Right now there are no mandatory requirements for trolley segregation but we urge operators to start practicing it, and hopefully inspire others to follow suit,” he said.
However, if adoption rates remain low, the ministry might want to reconsider the voluntary nature of segregation.
“If in the future the concept of self-compliance gets no traction, the Federal Government might have no choice but to lay out guidelines mandating the separation of halal and non-halal trolleys, so that Muslim consumers are more comfortable and confident in making their purchases.”
He suggested clearly marking out the trolleys by colour, and to set different payment counters for halal and non-halal purchases.
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