A Muslim market... without Muslims

Just a stone’s throw away from the Sultan Mosque sits a halal-certified mala soup eatery called Peppercorn. On one side of the restaurant, rows of lionhead-shaped door knockers line a mustard yellow wall. On the other, customers sit along a bar facing a mural of China’s socialist history. Every week, Peppercorn serves around 300 patrons.

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But during its first four months of operations, co-owners Jaron Chan and James Tan could only twiddle their thumbs as patrons were rare.

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“We were yet to get our halal certificate, so we wrote ‘No Pork, No Lard’ in front,” says Tan. “Muslims could not come in because we were not halal-certified, while the Chinese would not come in because we had no pork and no lard.”

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The idea to open a mala soup restaurant was sparked in a grimy back alley in Shanghai. The co-owners were on a cigarette break, surrounded by the dirt and rawness of the city, when they realised that if they wanted to recreate authentic Sichuan dining back home in Singapore, they would have to adapt it to the hygiene standards of the Lion City.

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Although their business had a rough start, Chan and Tan waited it out with hope that the incoming halal certificate would improve things. And true enough, Peppercorn started gaining visibility once it had a halal certificate from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.

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Chan and Tan are not the only non-Muslims to jump on the halal bandwagon.

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Ronnie Faizal Tan, vice-president of supermarket and mini-mart company Hao Halal Hub, pointed out that 80% of halal products today are supplied by non-Muslims, “despite the fact that the Muslim community is going to be the biggest in the world by 2020”.

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In the increasingly saturated market for halal food, it may come as a surprise that Muslims are not at the forefront, said Faizal Tan.

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Not only is the market for halal F&B dominated by non-Muslims, the tourism sector also lacks Muslim travel agents, said Mohamed Ismail Hussain, general manager of the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore.

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Risk-averseness in the Malay/Muslim community

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So why are Muslims not stepping up to take lead? Faizal Tan thinks it is because members of the Muslim community become complacent after reaching a certain level of success.

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He observes that in any hawker center late on a Saturday night, most of the Malay/Muslim-owned stalls are closed. Oftentimes, Faizal Tan has had to settle for nasi briyani from the 24-hour Indian stall when what he really craved was nasi padang. The grit and hard work of other businessmen, he said, is an example which the Malay/Muslim community needs to strive towards.

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“If you look at the Chinese business, it’s so busy they make sure they don’t close. They continue,” he says. “These are the kinds of cultural and habitual things we have to change.”

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Azrulnizam Shah Sohaimi, executive director of the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, agrees, saying that the older generation of businessmen has a part to play in contributing to the current climate.

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Having been in charge of providing expansion platforms to Malay/Muslim businesses for two years, Azrulnizam realised that the older ones are a lot more risk-averse.

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“They try to play safe, you know, put their eggs in a basket that they know is not going to break,” says Azrulnizam.

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This caution stems from a critical issue: Muslims’ lack of financial and social capital. Azrulnizam explained that many Malay businesses start from scratch, unlike their Chinese and Indian counterparts whose parents often already own businesses, forming a strong base from which they can develop a name for themselves.

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It also helps them establish an interconnectedness with key stakeholders, such as suppliers, investors and business partners, which are integral to setting up and sustaining a business, said Azrulnizam.

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“Obviously, the lack of social capital does affect the risk-taking appetite of these Malay/Muslims,” he continues.

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As a result, this holds them back from joining the ranks of Chinese businesses that have become key names. Thus, Malay/Muslim entrepreneurs are not at the forefront of marketplaces, even in the market for Muslims. This leaves more room for newcomers.

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A different definition of success

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But like an onion, there are more layers to the issue than just economic reasons. Azrulnizam spoke of a common psyche: many Malay/Muslim businessmen are afraid of being seen as greedy.

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The tension, he continued, arises from a cultural norm that espouses contentment, and it breeds insecurity among entrepreneurs. They worry that onlookers would accuse them of being materialistic.

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“Why can’t this guy be satisfied with whatever he has? He has three cars, why would he want to expand further?” says Azrulnizam. This psyche ultimately limits the level of profit Muslim entrepreneurs achieve for their businesses.

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However, while he observes this trend, other Muslim businessmen simply believe that success transcends financial gains.

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Zam Zam, a restaurant known for its long history and its generous servings of murtabak and briyani, has been around since 1908. The humble shophouse eatery opposite the Sultan Mosque, at the heart of Singapore’s Malay quarter, is always buzzing with customers, most of whom are regular locals and tourists from Japan, Korea and Malaysia.

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They serve about 500 customers every weekday and double the numbers on the weekends. Yet, there is only one Zam Zam in Singapore.

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Nevertheless, in 2017, manager Zackeer Khan was reported by the Straits Times to have brought 27 of his staff to Mecca for umrah, a minor pilgrimage. They travelled there during the last 10 days of Ramadan despite the period being considered the most profitable for the restaurant.

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In fact, the company paid for all the travellers’ visas, tickets and hotel accommodation.

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Sahid M, who has been working at Zam Zam for 12 years, says, “My boss is very kind to people. He always asks if we have any problems. He always says to give food to the homeless who come here hungry.”

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And to Sahid, Zam Zam is family.

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This spirit of giving back to the community through business is also one that Faizal Tan envisions for Hao Halal Hub.

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“If you aim for the dollar sign, at the end of the day it’s all about numbers,” he says. “But if you think about the community enjoying halal products, I think the happiness in you is more than any figures can provide.”

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Currently, Hao Halal Hub has 17 convenience stores in Singapore’s neighbourhoods and there are plans to bring them to a bigger arena — shopping malls.

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This religious and altruistic mindset among Muslim entrepreneurs explains why there is a lack of big names in the industry. The market is lucrative, certainly, but these businessmen are not in it for the sole purpose of maximising profits.

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What this means, however, is that non-Muslims can enter the market, start a profitable venture and make it big. Peppercorn has such aspirations.

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“I wouldn’t say there is any tension between Muslim and non-Muslim businesses,” says Azrulnizam. “Rather, there is an increasing pressure on Muslim businesses to transform themselves because it is no longer a protected area that nobody can touch.”