SHAH ALAM, Dec 31 — Malaysia is positioning itself as a key launchpad for the Chinese Muslim food industry to reach the global halal market, said International Malaysian Muslim Food, Culture, and Tourism Festival organiser Shoaib Ma.
“The halal market is huge; two billion Muslims worldwide, and Malaysia is a global hub, a perfect opening point for our industry. We plan to bring mass production from China here, localise our products, and produce halal-certified foods for export worldwide.
"We showcase spices, hotpot pastes, and other ingredients to see what resonates here. This helps us prepare for larger-scale production while understanding local preferences,” he told Media Selangor during the festival.
Shoaib also highlighted Malaysia’s robust halal certification system as a key advantage.
“Obtaining the Malaysian Islamic Development Department’s (Jakim) certification is challenging, but it ensures 100 per cent halal status for our products. By producing locally, we can more easily meet these standards while building trust with consumers.
“Some restaurants in China claim to be halal without proper certification. We carefully check every factory and partner. In Malaysia, Jakim provides the credibility we need to assure customers," he said.
Looking forward, Shoaib emphasised localisation as a strategy for growth.
“We adapt ingredients and recipes for the Malaysian market, but our ultimate goal is global. Malaysia is the starting point for Chinese Muslim food to expand worldwide,” he concluded.
