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@ Halal | november-december . 2020

BY CAMILIA REZALI

Malaysia has the right circle of population , recognised as a Muslim-friendly tourism destination and possesses reliable resources of halal nutriment . Even halal cosmetics and halal pharmaceuticals are available here .

On top of that , Malaysia has a strong and respected halal standard and certification system , making it a reference point for other countries planning to expand in the halal realm .

Let us now look at the contribution of Malaysia to the global halal market . It has the goods ( components of a halal ecosystem ), but how much is Malaysia contributing ?

The global halal market size is estimated to be worth US $ 3 trillion and expected to snowball to US $ 7.7 trillion by 2030 .

THE NEED FOR A CHANGE

A big question was placed on the table by the Chief Operating Officer of Halal International Selangor ( Aspire Flagship Sdn Bhd ), Zukarnine Shah Zainal Abidin .

“ Where is Malaysia headed in the halal industry ? Malaysia has about 8,000 halalcertified companies , and there are 2,600 active halal certificate holders in Selangor today . But how many halal-certified companies do we need to help the global halal market expansion target ?

“ We have limited capacity , but do we have enough capital or financial support to expand globally ?” Zukarnine further questioned .

He stated there was still a lot that needed to be done in Malaysia ’ s halal industry . One of the goals suggested was the need to establish a precise substantial amount of halal-certified companies to place a benchmark for Malaysia .

Zukarnine recommended carrying out a systematic implementation process that involves all halal industry players through a standard business-friendly universal blueprint .

What is occurring in the halal industry today is a differing view on the halal standard . Different countries have different expectations about what needed to be delivered by players in the halal industry .

“ We need to create a blueprint where all ends meet , and it needs to be a standard roadmap followed by every industry player . Let ’ s make it a collaborative effort rather than an individualistic effort ,” voiced Zukarnine .

IMFAN , A SMALL BUT soliD EFFORT

In the meantime , Halal International Selangor ( HIS ) decided to start at least small on their part . HIS recently carried out their “ small but solid ” effort as how Zukarnine described it .

Halal International Selangor plays role to increase numbers of halal-certified companies in Malaysia

Zukarnine Shah Zainal Abidin

IMFAN or the International Muslim Friendly Affiliated Network is a Tier-Rating programme with comprehensive and structured facilitation for each tier to assist entrepreneurs in developing halal principles and practices at the early stages of their business .

The programme was launched by the Selangor government .

The programme is designed in a way where companies or participants will be presented with a tier rating award , and provided with the appropriate knowledge , skill enhancement and handholding sessions for their tier .

He said : “ To ensure that participants are not stagnant and complacent in improving their halal practices and subsequently get their companies halal-certified , the Tier Rating awarded will have a fixed validity duration .

“ IMFAN participants can go through a curriculum of five tiers . From Tier 1 to Tier 4 , participants will be introduced to halal and halal-related topics , the halal governance system , the Malaysian Halal Assurance system , field audits and document examinations up to Tier 5 , where we will assist the participants to submit their application for halal certification to Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri or JAKIM .”

A UNIQUE STREAK TO IMFAN

So , what makes IMFAN different from other programmes initiated ? During the second tier , the participants will undergo an online self-assessment .

This self-assessment is referred to as the Certification Readiness Assessment or CRA , a method of self-assessment that it has established to gauge the level of readiness of entrepreneurs or companies to earn the Malaysian halal certification .

After the assessment test , a complete report will be produced immediately , showing the percentage of their readiness level . The system also provides a checklist for halal certification requirements .

Zukarnine further explained : “ The benefit of IMFAN is that the programme also provides participants with a dedicated online portal or e-commerce platform to sell their products and thereby open up a broader opportunity in the global market and it is free for participants who have registered and undergone the IMFAN programme .”

To date , HIS has conducted more than 10 sessions involving more than 120 participants . Sixty-one per cent of them were from the Food and Beverage ( F & B ) industry , while the rest are sellers of cosmetics , pharmaceutical , logistics and medical devices .

THE MAIN Goal

The idea is to create a global network through IMFAN . It will serve as a launchpad for Malaysian companies that target the global market by providing an e-commerce platform where the members can list and sell their products online . They can also interact with other traders via this online forum across the globe .

Besides IMFAN , HIS also introduced and implemented the Halal Technical Competent Person ( HTCP ).

HTCP is a comprehensive training programme aimed at equipping individuals or companies involved in the halal industry with both the knowledge and skills to be competitive to serve the needs of the global halal industry , especially in the food , cosmetics , pharmaceutical , logistics and tourism sectors .

GROOMED MEMBERS ... Train the Trainer tot was organised for mentors of IMFAN to ensure best guiding techniques are provided .