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@Halal | november-december. 2019
Highlight
Another
leap
for the global halal market
Inaugural Selangor International Halal Conference acknowledges the global halal potential
I
n conjunction with the third Selangor
International Business Summit, Halal
International Selangor (HIS) collaborated
with Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor
(JAIS) to organise the inaugural Selangor
International Halal Conference (SIHC) at
the Malaysia International Trade Exhibition
Centre (MITEC) on 10 October 2019.
Currently, Muslims represent 23 per cent
of the global population with over 1.8 billion
consumers. The lack of a unified halal stan-
dard has been a pressing issue – especially
when the halal market is growing steadily
at three per cent per annum.
Seeing the rise, HIS and JAIS recognised
the need for a platform in Selangor to foster
dialogue between relevant industry players
in addition to nurturing ways on improv-
ing market access. The key highlight of the
conference was the launch of Aspire Rating,
Malaysia’s First Halal Certification Readi-
ness Assessment.
“Given the right investment and develop-
ment strategy, we believe the Selangor halal
industry is poised to propel itself as a leader
in the global market place,” said Rodziah
Ismail, Selangor State Executive Council
chairperson for the Entrepreneurial Devel-
opment, Development of Countryside, and
Traditional Village Committee.
Over 300 local and international par-
ticipants attended the conference and
partaken actively in panel discussions
amongst others. The event discussed about
the misconceptions on the difficulty of
obtaining the halal certification. In addition,
the panels enlightened the audience with
(From left) Zulkarnine Shah Zainal Abidin, COO of Halal International Selangor; Rodziah Ismail, Selangor State Executive Council and
Chairperson for the Entrepreneurial Development, Development of Countryside, and Traditional Village Committee; and Muhamad
Razif Abdul Wahab, CEO of Central Spectrum Sdn Bhd.
marketing strategies that key players can
use to leverage on what will soon become a
trillion-dollar industry.
Under the purview of the Selangor State
Government, HIS is an initiative to promote
the halal industry globally. Participants from the industry had the opportunity to engage
and network with experts in the field as well
as gaining exposure to the latest develop-
ment in halal technology. The Selangor
International Business Summit is an annual
event organised by Invest Selangor.
and requirements of the global halal trade
and industry.
It provides the participating companies
with the essential halal integrity and
assurance tools, knowledge, insights, and
shariah-compliant guidelines to meet the
market demand for halal-assured products
and services.
Companies aspiring to be rated will be
consulted, examined and audited to verify its
capability in meeting the various business,
management and financial requirements
in accordance to shariah-compliance, halal standards and halal regulatory requirements
as well as good manufacturing practices in
line with the halal trade.
Aspire Rating is full-service rating that
rates the entire halal sectors – from F&B,
cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and Muslim-
friendly tourism industry. Applicants aspiring
to obtain an Aspire Rating are required to
submit their request with documents and
details of their products and services to the
responsive officers via self-assessment tools
downloadable through the Aspire Rating
website.
Solution to assessing
global halal standard
A
spire Rating is a Halal Certification
Readiness Assessment (CRA) tool that
is based on the highest standards and
regulatory requirements of the global halal
industry.
It aims to provide quality, unbiased ana-
lytical information on the global integrity,
and shariah compliance of halal products and
services to the global halal market. It offers
a unique and affordable rating service for
halal businesses ranging from multinational
companies to small and medium enterprises
(SMEs).
This ensure that the company enjoys
better credibility and market confidence on
how to improve the quality and its reputation
over time, as well as gain global recognition
when the Aspire Rating is adopted globally
and applied as the halal standard rating for
the industry.
The Aspire Rating is benchmarked against
various other credit rating systems, halal
standards, and ISO management systems that
are designed to meet or exceed the demands
Muhamad Razif Abdul
Wahab (second from left),
Rodziah Ismail (fourth
from rght), and Zulkarnine
Shah Zainal Abidin (most
right) together with the
participants of the First
Online Halal Certification
Readiness Assessment
(CRA) System pilot
project.