KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — The Malaysian Halal Council is coordinating efforts with state governments to identify abandoned plots to grow the production of halal products, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the move will ensure the halal industry continues to grow globally and not just focus on food and beverage products.
“To go to the international level, we have to work on many other aspects such as halal vaccines, and the most important is the preparation of ingredients for halal-related products such as lemongrass, galangal, herbal ingredients which are very necessary for the production of cosmetics products and others,” he said.
Zahid, also the Halal Industry Development Council chairman, said this during Ministers’ Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat here today.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan (BN-Kuala Pilah) about why so few large foreign firms are applying for Malaysian halal certification, despite the local certificate being widely accepted by Muslims around the world.
According to Zahid, as of this month, 9,146 firms have received halal certification from the Islamic Development Department, comprising 8,105 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and 1,041 multinational companies.
He said the 2030 Halal Industry Master Plan focuses on improving the competitiveness of Bumiputera companies to increase the involvement of Bumiputera companies in the halal industry.
He said the Halal Development Corporation Bhd has held various programmes for local firms to venture into the halal sector to strengthen the supply chain, adopt digital technology, and commercialise innovative products.
Zahid also mentioned the Malaysia Global Halal Show 2024, saying it involved 153 companies — four of them Bumiputera firms — in the food and beverage, cosmetics and personal care sectors.
He was responding to an original question from Adnan about the government’s plan to empower the halal industry for MSMEs, Bumiputera companies, rural companies and young entrepreneurs, in line with Malaysia’s goal of becoming a leader in the international halal market.
To a supplementary question from Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) about drawing investors to the halal industry, Zahid said investors from China have expressed interest in investing about RM5 billion in Malaysia.
“We will discuss how to distribute the investment in halal industrial parks in several states so they can also benefit,” he said.
— Bernama
