Gigantic, one-tonne Aidiladha cow worth RM14,000 slaughtered, story goes viral, draws tourists
ADRIAN DAVID
New Straits Times
September 13, 2016
KUALA TERENGGANU: It was a gargantuan task for a group of abattoirs to slaughter a gigantic, one-tonne head of cattle in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidiladha at a village near here.
The unusual sacrificial slaughter of the Charolais breed, costing RM14,000, drew a crowd of more than 1,000 local folk, tourists and visitors from as far away as Singapore to the Dewan Budi, Kampung Losong Datuk Amar.
So unusual was the cattle, which was more than thrice the size of a normal one, that the heavily-photographed 10.45am event went viral on social media, drawing gasps and sighs from many.
The Charolais is a premium breed of the taurine beef cattle from the Charolais region of Burgundy, in eastern France. It is raised primarily for meat and may be crossed with other breeds like Angus and Hereford cattle.
Badan Ukhwah Darul Iman (Budi) chairman Zulfadzli Hassan said that after news of the Charolais was propagated by social media and local newspapers two days prior to the event, visitors began streaming in to the village in the early morning for a first-hand look at the slaughter.
“They wanted to see for themselves if it was really true, and not a hoax. It was as if their eyes were deceiving them – they had never seen cattle so big. But they went home content,” said Zulfadzli.
He added that he himself did not expect such a large turnout at the venue. The crowd kept on swelling even until noon, he said.
Such a large animal would certainly benefit many mouths.
“I will distribute the meat of the giant cattle to about 2,000 members of the public, especially the underprivileged, along with the meat from six other heads of cattle,” he said.
Elsewhere in Kuala Terengganu, a Singaporean family of four paid RM5,800 for a head of cattle that was slaughtered at the famed beachfront Primula Beach Hotel.
Retiree Samsudin Mohd Ali, 65, came with his wife Rosminah Asmawi, 61, and daughters Faizah Samsudin, 28, and Faridah Samsudin, 24, for the sacrificial ceremony hosted by the hotel.
“The public slaughter of cattle is not permitted in Singapore. Only authorised mosques can slaughter sheep, in limited numbers only, imported from Australia and Ireland.
“This is to respect the religious beliefs of other faiths, especially Hindus and Buddhists,” said Samsudin, who donated the meat to hotel staff and the poor, before savouring sup tulang (beef bone soup), specially prepared from a portion of the cattle by the hotel.
Last Monday, a herd of seven cattle was slaughtered during a similar sacrificial programme for 100 Muslim tourists from Singapore at the Teluk Ketapang Homestay.
Jalaluddin Travel & Services spokesperson Ellia Abdul Rahman said the programme was the first such event held in collaboration between the Singapore Muslim tourist agency and the Terengganu state government.
The idea was first mooted by Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman during the ‘Beautiful Terengganu’ promotion in Singapore on Aug 11-1
KUALA TERENGGANU: It was a gargantuan task for a group of abattoirs to slaughter a gigantic, one-tonne head of cattle in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidiladha at a village near here.
The unusual sacrificial slaughter of the Charolais breed, costing RM14,000, drew a crowd of more than 1,000 local folk, tourists and visitors from as far away as Singapore to the Dewan Budi, Kampung Losong Datuk Amar.
So unusual was the cattle, which was more than thrice the size of a normal one, that the heavily-photographed 10.45am event went viral on social media, drawing gasps and sighs from many.
The Charolais is a premium breed of the taurine beef cattle from the Charolais region of Burgundy, in eastern France. It is raised primarily for meat and may be crossed with other breeds like Angus and Hereford cattle.
Badan Ukhwah Darul Iman (Budi) chairman Zulfadzli Hassan said that after news of the Charolais was propagated by social media and local newspapers two days prior to the event, visitors began streaming in to the village in the early morning for a first-hand look at the slaughter.
“They wanted to see for themselves if it was really true, and not a hoax. It was as if their eyes were deceiving them – they had never seen cattle so big. But they went home content,” said Zulfadzli.
He added that he himself did not expect such a large turnout at the venue. The crowd kept on swelling even until noon, he said.
Such a large animal would certainly benefit many mouths.
“I will distribute the meat of the giant cattle to about 2,000 members of the public, especially the underprivileged, along with the meat from six other heads of cattle,” he said.
Elsewhere in Kuala Terengganu, a Singaporean family of four paid RM5,800 for a head of cattle that was slaughtered at the famed beachfront Primula Beach Hotel.
Retiree Samsudin Mohd Ali, 65, came with his wife Rosminah Asmawi, 61, and daughters Faizah Samsudin, 28, and Faridah Samsudin, 24, for the sacrificial ceremony hosted by the hotel.
“The public slaughter of cattle is not permitted in Singapore. Only authorised mosques can slaughter sheep, in limited numbers only, imported from Australia and Ireland.
“This is to respect the religious beliefs of other faiths, especially Hindus and Buddhists,” said Samsudin, who donated the meat to hotel staff and the poor, before savouring sup tulang (beef bone soup), specially prepared from a portion of the cattle by the hotel.
Last Monday, a herd of seven cattle was slaughtered during a similar sacrificial programme for 100 Muslim tourists from Singapore at the Teluk Ketapang Homestay.
Jalaluddin Travel & Services spokesperson Ellia Abdul Rahman said the programme was the first such event held in collaboration between the Singapore Muslim tourist agency and the Terengganu state government.
The idea was first mooted by Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman during the ‘Beautiful Terengganu’ promotion in Singapore on Aug 11-1
.jpg)
