JAKARTA — The new Halal logo introduced by the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) has become a hot topic of debate on the timeline. The Halal logo issued by the Ministry of Religion is considered Java -centric or does not represent the culture of the archipelago as a whole, thus causing controversy in the community.
The Halal logo with purple and turquoise as the secondary colors replaces the old logo which is dominantly green. The Halal logo in the form of a mountain of wayang is very thick with a touch of culture.
When compared to various Halal logos in ASEAN countries, and even the world, this product from Kemenang seems anti-mainstream . Not surprisingly, debates arose on Twitter and Instagram among the public regarding the Halal logo with Javanese culture.
The seasia.co (Good News from Southeast Asia) Instagram account also uploaded nine Halal logos which are used officially in nine Southeast Asian countries. Compared to Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, Indonesia’s newest logo is different. The nine countries have halal logos similar to those of Indonesia previously issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).
“We know that Indonesia recently changed the halal logo. Halal certification is a process that guarantees the features and quality of products according to the rules set by the Islamic Council that allow the use of the Halal mark. This is mainly applied to meat products and other food products, such as milk, food and beverages. cans, and additives,” explained the seasia.co account quoted in Jakarta, Sunday (13/3/2022).
Unfortunately, from the hundreds of comments that have appeared, not a few are negative because the latest Halal logo has a very Javanese smell. In fact, until some regret it, why is Halal writing not made universal so that it is easy to read and recognize, like other countries. Even so, there are also those who like the new Halal logo which is considered to look fresher.
The Head of the Ministry of Religion’s Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH Kemenag), Muhammad Aqil Irham said, the Indonesian Halal label philosophically adapts Indonesian values. The shapes and patterns used are cultural artifacts that have unique characteristics that have strong characters and represent Indonesian Halal.
“The form of the Indonesian Halal label consists of two objects, namely the form of gunungan and the surjan motif or lurik gunungan on the wayang kulit which is in the shape of a pyramid, pointed upwards. This symbolizes human life,” said Irham, illustrating.
“The shape of the mountains is arranged in such a way as to form Arabic calligraphy consisting of the letters a, Lam Alif, and Lam in a series to form the word Halal,” Irham added.