PETALING JAYA: Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Covid-19 vaccine need not be halal in order to be administered in Malaysia, following concerns raised by a few quarters over the matter.
Speaking to The Straits Times, Noor Hisham however, said if the makers of the vaccine could obtain halal certification, it “would be better”.
“But we do not register a medicine based on its halal status or not. We do register non-halal medicine, too,” he told the Singapore daily.
Last week, the Kelantan government called for a study to be carried out to ensure the Covid-19 vaccine is shariah-compliant.
Deputy Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said the study is crucial to increase the confidence of the people, especially Muslims, in receiving the vaccine as a preventive treatment for Covid-19.
Last month, Pahang mufti Abdul Rahman Osman expressed hope the much-touted Covid-19 vaccine will be halal to ensure peace of mind among Muslims.
He said while the utmost importance in Islamic law was to save lives, health authorities must ensure the vaccine was free from items deemed to be forbidden by the religion.
On Nov 7, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that the government was making arrangements to order the Covid-19 vaccine.
However, it sparked concerns among Muslims here who cast doubts on its halal status as the vaccine was produced in China.
Khairy has since assured that the vaccines would be vetted and approved by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim).