18
@Halal | april-may. 2019
Business
Route
Powering the Halal Silk
Initiative to facilitate Halal trade arrangement
between Malaysia and Japan through HSR
A
keen eye to expand local prod-
ucts to other parts of the world
has led to the latest measure –
dubbed as the Halal Silk Route
(HSR) by Northport (Malaysia)
Berhad. The HSR would see
Malaysia sit at the centre of halal trade. For
the past two years, the multi-purpose port
has come out with the initiative, indicated as
the missing link that will complete the Halal
trade value chain globally.
Northport is located in Port Klang, sur-
rounded by major industrial areas and
connected to almost all major highways and
vast hinterland. Making it well-positioned to
be the gateway for halal trade.
According to Dato’ Azman Shah Mohd
Yusof, CEO of Northport (Malaysia) Berhad,
“Malaysia is a country at the centre of the
global Muslim population. We have our
advantages such as our very own, JAKIM, a
well-known Halal Authority and our strategic
location, near the Straits of Malacca. There-
fore, we should utilise this and become the
global distribution hub of halal products.” he
explains.
Collaboration between
Northport, Sojitz and NL
Cold Chain Network
As an establishment of the Malaysia Japan
Halal Value Chain initiative, Northport
(Malaysia) Berhad together with Sojitz
(Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and NL Cold Chain
Network (M) Sdn Bhd have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The
signing of the MoU is in tandem with an
earlier memorandum signed by Datuk Seri
Mohd Redzuan and the Japanese Minister of
Economy, Trade and Industry, Hiroshige Seko
on Halal cooperation to pave the way for more
business opportunities in the Halal industry
between the two countries.
Northport is a subsidiary of MMC Ports,
Malaysia’s largest port operator. MMC Ports
is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MMC Cor-
poration Berhad, a conglomerate involved in
ports and logistics; energy and utilities; and
engineering. MMC operates Port of Tanjung
Pelepas Sdn Bhd, Johor Port Berhad, Penang
Port Sdn Bhd, Tanjung Bruas Port Sdn Bhd,
Kontena Nasional Berhad and JP Logistics
Sdn Bhd.
Sojitz Malaysia is an affiliate of Sojitz
Corporation, a well-established Japanese
general trading company listed on the
Tokyo Stock Exchange. It has a worldwide
network comprising approximately of 400
group companies and operations in around
50 countries. The broad range of sectors in
which Sojitz operates includes those related
to automobiles, plants, aerospace, medical
infrastructure, energy, mineral resources,
chemicals, foodstuff resources, agricultural
and forestry resources, consumer goods, and
industrial parks.
The Company shareholders’ equity is JPY
586.4 billion and net sales based on Japanese
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or
JGAAP is JPY 4,209.1 billion as at year ended
March 31, 2018.
NLCCN, which is jointly owned by Kha-
zanah Nasional Berhad and the Nichirei
Logistics Group of Japan, is a Halal Logistics
Cold Chain company which offers a complete
cold chain logistics solution leveraging on
its 200,000 square feet one stop centre with
modern facilities and logistics management
system. Having served the Malaysian and
Singaporean cold chain industries for more
than ten years, NLCCN is the first cold chain
company to receive the MS2400:2010 Halalan
Toyyiban Assurance Pipeline for Logistics
Scheme certificate in Malaysia from JAKIM.
Roles and Responsibilities
The MoU signing between of Northport
(Malaysia) Berhad, Sojitz (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd,
and Cold Chain Network (M) Sdn Bhd to develop
the Halal Silk Route.
Under the MoU, Northport will provide
integrated end-to-end logistics support and
solutions for import and export of Halal prod-
ucts through Port Klang. Sojitz Malaysia will
provide the required support and promote
bilateral trade of Halal products through its
experience and network. NLCCN will provide
Halal logistical support for import and export
of temperature-controlled cargo in Malaysia
and Japan.