Muslim and non-Muslim customers segregated at a food outlet in Penang

MALAYSIA: In the past, it used to be about properties where owners would advertise saying ‘No foreigners’ or, in some cases, they would want only people of their race to rent the property.

Later on, signs started to appear in advertisements for a certain type of resort saying that only Muslims or Muslim families are allowed.

Now, it appears that some restaurants are segregating their customers between Muslims and non-Muslims.

This happened in Penang, where the Island City Council issued a warning to the operator of a burger stall at a food court.

Customers said the joint was displaying unapproved halal logo stickers on dining tables. The city council believes this could spark racial sensitivities.

The council issued a statement saying that action was taken following an investigation into claims circulating on social media that Muslim and non-Muslim customers were segregated at a food outlet.

“MBPP wishes to stress that no such action or practice should have been in place at any food premises, public market or food complex under its supervision and management.

“Such a practice was not contained in any official MBPP policy,” the statement said.

Investigations found that a new burger stall operating within a food shop had attached halal logos to three tables to prevent their use by customers consuming non-halal food.

“The owner of the premises has complied with the instructions and immediately removed all the stickers,” the council said in a statement.

The resolution of the issue does not mean users on social media remained silent.

A prominent academic, James Chin, posted on X, asking why we are getting more such cases in Malaysia.

He recapped some of the recent cases where ‘muslim-friendly’ signs were seen, sayING there was a case of a self-service laundromat in Muar, Johor, that had put up signs stating “For Muslim customers only.

Another laundromat in Kangar, Perlis, was found with a sign: “This laundry is dedicated for Muslim use only.” A TikTok video showed a laundromat with designated washers and dryers for Muslims and non-Muslims separately. The poster said there are many private homestays and short-term rentals that explicitly advertise as “Muslims Only”.

“These are often justified on grounds of privacy, prayer facilities, halal standards, or owner comfort,” he writes.

Meanwhile, Malaysia does not have the ‘Muslim-friendly’ or halal everything syndrome. In the past, there were heated debates online regarding ‘Chinese only’ job advertisements or jobs that required employees to be well-versed in Mandarin.

These, and the ‘halal’ only resorts or tourist spots, are always hotly debated.

Responding to Chin, a user asked: “How about races that reject certain other races from renting their property? Even worse, it directly mentions which race is banned. It’s like a pot calling kettle black situation going on here.”

Some were more diplomatic, saying Muslim-friendly AirBnB’s have a good reason for their stance. They would not want to see pork in their units.

“I’m ok with laundromats shared by both muslims and non-Muslims. As for Muslim-only airbnbs, the owners just don’t want to see pork in their airbnbs because that would mean they have to clean it up 6 times with water and once with soil. It‘s a hassle.”

The pressing question is whether Malaysia is veering into extremes in certain situations, or if majority rule ultimately prevails.