MALAYSIAN muslims have been advised against drinking a type of beer claimed to be "halal" by a distributor company because the beverage contains alcohol content higher than permitted by Islamic law.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the company's claim that the beer contained only 0.01 percent of alcohol was false as a laboratory test showed up 0.5 percent of alcohol.
He said the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim) and the state Islamic affairs councils would prohibit the sale of the beverage to Muslims.
"We will consult the Royal Customs Department to seek more information on the matter," said the Minister.
A newspaper had reported yesterday that the "halal" beer was popular among Muslims and its sale was detected by the Johor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIJ) recently.
JAIJ took samples of the beverage and found that the drink was produced from various fruit flavours and the alcohol content was 0.5 percent.
They then asked Jakim and the Customs Department to take appropriate action, including stopping the sale of the beverage, if necessary.
The National Fatwa Council was also quoted by the paper as saying that the permissible alcohol content in food and drinks according to Islamic law was under 0.01 percent.
(Source: Bernama, The Sun)