IMK?s catering firm banned from cooking pork

Catering company PT Patra, which provides meals for workers of gold mining company Indo Muro Kencana (IMK) in North Barito, Central Kalimantan, has been banned from cooking pork and other forbidden foods under the Islamic law.

The ban was made after the catering company was found to have cooked and served the forbidden foods with the same kitchen tools used for other foods. This has caused controversy among the Moslem workers, who later went to the street to protest the cooking of the forbidden food.

The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) branch was later invited to help to settle the controversy. The council then checked the cooking process and supported the workers? demand. As part of the settlement, all the catering company?s cooking equipment such as spoons, glasses and plates should be washed under the Islamic rule.

The company?s foreign workers and other non-Moslem workers were allowed only to have pork in the company?s representative office in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. IMK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian gold miner Aurora Gold.(*)