@Halal Nov/Dec 2019 | Page 5

05 november-december. 2019 | @Halal The focus is given to halal certification which covers all aspects including ingredients, the process of preparation, the purity of equipment, cleanliness of the premises and the handling that prioritises compliance with shariah in addition to the safety, quality and integrity assurance aspects of a product or service.” – Fuziah Salleh Halal sector prime for local SMEs through religious agencies, had agreed to help promote halal products sought by Muslim entrepreneurs including through social media. Fuziah said this was decided in a religious agency post-cabinet meeting recently. “The government safeguards the interests of all parties and groups in this country, over the BMF campaign which is mistaken for a movement to boycott the products of other communities. The government today accepts it with emphasis given to the concept of halal toiyyiban (allowed and permissible for con- sumption with relation to Syariah law as long as they are safe and not harmful). “The focus is given to halal certification which covers all aspects including ingredi- ents, the process of preparation, the purity of equipment, cleanliness of the premises and the handling that prioritises compliance with shariah in addition to the safety, quality and integrity assurance aspects of a product or service.” While responding to questions raised by one of the delegates about the steps taken by the government in supervising of halal products on the market, Fuziah said peri- odic monitoring was always carried out by JAKIM to ensure there was no abuse of the halal logo. She said a halal directory was also estab- lished on the portal www.halal.gov.my or through the ‘Smart Halal’ and ‘Verify Halal’ applications to allow users to check the halal status of a product on the market. The halal industry offers an immense opportunity for local small and medium entreprises (SMEs), said Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof. Mohd Redzuan said the industry is also deemed as a “low-hanging fruit” of the economy as it provides investment potential up to US$10 trillion (RM41.8 trillion) in the next five years. “Another area that we foresee as a huge potential for the SMEs to venture into is the halal industry. Globally, the halal market is set to reach US$9.71 trillion by 2025,” he said. Citing examples of the increasing demand for gelatine, Mohd Redzuan said only 5 per cent of the gelatine production worldwide meets the halal requirement. “There is an increasing global demand for halal food products, including halal gelatine. In 2013, the global gelatine market volume was estimated at 374,000 tonnes, with an average annual growth of 3.8 per cent, while the demand for halal gelatine alone was estimated at 60,000 tonnes yearly. “However, almost 95 per cent of the gelatine in the market now is produced from animals prohibited for use by Muslims.” Mohd Redzuan said the local SMEs are exhorted to participate in the halal production of various food, health and cosmetic products. “There is strong demand for gelatine in the production of various food, health and cosmetic products. As a country with a majority Muslim population, we believe that there is great potential for Malaysia to venture into this new industry. “An added advantage for Malaysia is the fact that Malaysia’s halal logo is widely recognised and well-accepted around the globe.” He added that SMEs’ involvement in the halal production, particularly in the gelatine market, would support the development of the first halal gelatine incubator project in the country. Malaysia to offer sustainable tech solutions for Japan’s halal market sions were held at yesterday’s event between HDC and five Japanese firms involved in medi- cal devices, logistics, and food and beverages (F&B). Statistics from HDC showed that Malaysia exported RM2.5 billion worth of halal products to Japan in 2018, with halal ingredients con- tributing the largest amount of RM1.27 billion, followed by F&B products at RM1.01 billion. Organised by MUFG, the Business Link Shobai-Hanjo is an annual large-scale busi- nessmatching event which saw about 4,000 MUFG’s business partners participated in this year’s event. Porcine Detection via Immunoassay Analysis, and (3) Alcohol Analysis using HS-GC/FID. The training was provided by experienced Halvec analysts with the understanding of standard/halal requirements, hands-on on live samples and troubleshoots with discus- sion on method validation. This was to ensure that the participants will be able to develop their own Halal Laboratory at IAIN Kendari. The program ended with a closing cer- emony attended by IAIN Kendari’s Director, Prof Dr Faizah Awad and Director of Global Haltech Serpong, Dr H. Firman Bachtiar. a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Global Haltech Sdn Bhd to have a better collaboration and support for each other towards the development of Halal Science Analysis between Malaysia and Indonesia. The MoU signing shows good partner- ship between Global haltech Sdn Bhd and IAIN Kendari, indicating that Malaysia is in the right direction to globalise its halal expertise. The rise of demand and global interest for various types of halal products has expanded beyond Muslim majority countries. Thus, many countries have started taken a begin- ning steps to have proper halal testing facilities for their country. Signing for continuous partnership During the ceremony, IAIN Kendari signs Malaysia has been undertaking several digital transformation efforts through the National eCommerce Strategic Roadmap and through the country’s engagements at the international level. Having said that, Malaysian companies are urged to explore new markets and expand their business activities internationally to fulfil the nation’s vision. It is important for local companies to intensify their collaborations with ASEAN countries, such as Japan. Being a country with numerous advanced technological systems, Japan is like a magnet that continuously attracts foreign tourists from around the globe to experience the beautiful nature and cultural resources. The upcoming international multi-sport event, the Summer 2020 Olympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan. Being the first city in Asia to host the historical sports event twice, Japan is set to welcome 40 million foreign visitors next year. With the increasing numbers of Muslim tourists flooding Japan during the Olympics from July 24 to August 9, 2020, Malaysia is taking a step forward as one of the halal product producers. Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister, Datuk Darell Leiking confirmed that the halal market in Japan is the best platform for Malaysian halal producers to expand their brands. Establishing a continuous relationship with Japan in the halal industry is seen to be necessary as Malaysia can venture into numerous fields like logistics, data analytics, retail, certification, food distribution, and tourism. Leiking asserted this as one of the efforts for future collaboration with Japan at the Seminar on Business Opportunities in Malaysia. In addition, Japanese investors can tap into the robust Malaysian start-up ecosystem and utilise the Malaysia Digital Hub initiative which works to support tech and digital co-working spaces.