Islamic head in Macau hopes for more Halal food options amid tourism positioning

Imam Ding Shao Jie

The Islamic Akhund in Macau claims that the city does not have a wide and reliable option of halal food even after approximately 20 years of campaigns to increase tourism.

Macau has long had a history of intercultural and interreligious coexistence. The number of religious believers has grown gradually in the past two decades since the city’s economy started soaring after the liberalization of the casino market.

The reason behind this rise is that local people have become wealthier and more able to afford domestic helpers. Migrant workers were also hired by local enterprises to “supplement” the local workforce.

Many of these workers are either from Muslim countries or believers living in non-Muslim countries. For example, the Philippines, often considered a Catholic country, has a significant population of Muslims. Singapore too, given its background and ties with Malaysia, also has a relatively large Muslim community.

Despite skyrocketing tourism prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and entry of migrant workers, the city’s halal food offering is not sufficient. For example, in pre-Covid time, only the restaurant at the Grand Coloane Resort – used as a quarantine hotel from the early phase of the pandemic –expressly advertises its accreditation by an Islamic association and has obtained halal certification.

On the other hand, the government has emphasized that the non-Chinese source market would be the city’s target in the next ten years. Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng even highlighted at a parliament session that the tourism industry should stop excessively concentrating on the mainland as a major source market. Macau should start offering a wider array of tourism products, the head of the government added.

In addition, over the weekend, some resort operators have pledged that they would pitch to alternate markets such as Singapore and the Middle East, but have made no mention as to whether they would cater to these tourists’ basic needs – dining – while in Macau.

When asked about this major inconvenience facing Muslims in Macau, the head of Islam in Macau, Imam Ding Shao Jie Mohammed Ramadhan, immediately pointed to food as the greatest challenge for Muslims.

Imam Ding assumed this position in 2018.

He highlighted that in mainland China, each major city has separate slaughterhouse catering to halal needs. However, in Macau, there is only one, non-halal slaughterhouse.

“Although cows are also slaughtered there, Muslims cannot eat this beef, for it is not slaughtered in the halal method,” the Imam pointed out, adding that suggestions have been made to the slaughterhouse that halal practices be introduced, so meat processed will be edible to both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Usually, Muslims in Macau can only purchase halal food from frozen food sellers. “Nonetheless, these sellers put all meat in the same freezer or fridge. Some sellers are not very familiar with halal requirements, so we usually rely on the halal accreditation stickers on the packaging,” Imam Ding explained.

He said that when all the meat is put together, it can be difficult to find a halal piece of meat.

According to the Imam, in mainland China, besides Islamic associations, the government also plays a role in ensuring certain food meets halal requirements. Halal meat is slaughtered and sold separately. Outside of China, meanwhile, halal and non-halal meats are processed and sold  separately to avoid contacts between the meat.

As such, Muslims in Macau usually rely on meat and meat products imported from New Zealand and Australia, Imam Ding revealed.

Furthermore, he disclosed that many Muslim tourists, after arriving in Macau, would approach and ask the local Islamic Association where they could find halal restaurants in town.

“There were a few of these restaurants, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many of them have shut down,” Imam Ding recalled. “It would be best if there was an accreditation system and we could ensure that the owners of these restaurants are Muslims, so that they know what the practices are like.”

Muslims in Macau practice their religion at the Macau Islamic Mosque and Cemetery, which is described by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) as “[attesting to] Macao’s claims to multicultural tolerance throughout the centuries, and historic proof of the Islamic link to the territory.”

According to the same source, the mosque was constructed in the early 1980s and believed to have been built by Muslims serving with the Portuguese army recruited from regions such as Goa and Mumbai. The adjacent cemetery is another place of historic interest, and serves as the last resting place of several Parsi and Muslims of various origin.

The Islamic Association, which operates the mosque and cemetery, has been exploring the possibilities of expanding the venue, needed to accommodate the growing number of Muslims in Macau.

Further explaining the planned project, which has not yet been approved on a government level, Imam Ding said a larger mosque is needed, besides office space for daily administration, a hotel or hostel to accommodate visitors, and catering facilities.

Moreover, he said that visitors are welcome in the mosque and cemetery.