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@ Halal | January-February . 2022

| @ Halal says ... |

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Rejuvenating Muslim-friendly tourism for the future WITC brings exciting discussions on Islamic Tourism beyond the pandemic

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Empowering SMEs CIMB Islamic and KLSCCCI ’ s webinar series engages for sustainable growth

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BIMB issues fourth tranche Subordinated sukuk murabahah is worth RM300 million

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Turkey eyes US $ 7 trillion market 1.86 billion Muslims in 57 Islamic nations now have accurate information about what they produce and consume

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Global Haltech in tripartite agreement Halal global collaboration between Global Haltech , Vietnam Halal Center and TPM Nexus Sdn Bhd

LIFE HAS resumed as usual for many of us .

From the last few months until now , Malaysians have got to enjoy and experience things they had missed for the past two years . They are free to reunite with family members , go on a vacation , dine-in and return to the office . They have no more prolonged stringent restrictions which interrupt their social life , at least for now .

The economic activities , including those in the halal sector , are looking great . Conferences and exhibitions were held physically , such as the 8th OIC Halal Expo , Selangor International Business Summit ( SIBS ) 2021 and Expo 2020 Dubai , bringing more values and investments into the country .

People have adapted well to the fact that this Covid-19 virus is not going to disappear anytime soon magically . Everything is now open for business !

Well , just put on your mask , and life goes on . If multiple State elections could be held physically last year , nothing seemed impossible to do this year .

However , let ’ s face reality . The new year - 2022 , is not off to an excellent start . Omicron , the latest variant of the coronavirus , has become the culprit that postponed Malaysians ’ umrah trip to Saudi Arabia . Starting Jan 8 , the journey to the kingdom for umrah pilgrimages will be temporarily suspended until later .

The government decided this in light of the increasing positive cases of Covid-19 among the returnees involving the Omicron variant . The announcement of the travel suspension to Saudi Arabia has received mixed reactions from the public .

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin made it clear that no Muslim minister would want to do it on purpose , saying the government had no choice but to suspend the travel due to the worrying rise in cases .

That is understandable . Such a decision is essential to curb virus transmission , but what does this say about how things will be in 2022 ?

Will the government continue implementing the same measures , and will such a decision eventually affect the whole tourism sector again ?

Alas , it seems like this year , too , will be a year of uncertainties . Hopefully , things will get better moving forward . Otherwise , it will be like the meme going around social media - it will be ‘ 2020 too ’, not 2022 .

COVER STORY p10-11

Building a concrete ecosystem Selangor government to strengthen its halal industry through advocacy and strategic partnership

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Showcasing Malaysia ’ s halal businesses Malaysia Showcase at OIC Halal Expo 2021 generates more than US $ 6 million in potential sales , surpassing the initial target

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Open to opportunities Entrepreneurs will benefit by tapping into Eurasia region

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Halal F & B to boost economy Sector can boost State and national economies significantly

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PM : We will be savvier Strengthening management of halal meat imports