november-december . 2020 | @ Halal

23

BY CAMILIA REZALI

has a vast economic potential , not only in food manufacturing , but also in pharmaceuticals , technology and innovation , health and beauty .

The Penang government recognised the massive potential , and this is when Penang Halal International Sdn Bhd ( PHI ) was born .

On Sept 23 , 2020 , PHI took a bold stride by rebranding its entire system with a vision to become the nation ’ s development partner for the sustainable halal business ecosystem . This vision was in line with Malaysia ’ s aim - to become a leader in the world of halal .

So why Penang out of other States in Malaysia ? Penang capitalises on its competitive advantages to promote halal industries as the emerging engine of growth and generate sustainable economic values for the State .

Said the Chief Executive Officer of PHI Aida Lim : “ Geographically , Penang has the port and we have a very robust ecosystem . Penang is close to the natural resources , from plants , rice , fisheries – all in one , which is uniquely facilitated , lot of knowledgeable people . The schools here have fantastic teachers . The school teaches the children well in terms of command of communication and language . They are quite good .”

Aida believed Penang would be a catalyst of the halal industry in Malaysia because Penang embraced diversity much better than many other States . Looking at the diverse community in Penang , there is greater room for the halal industry to boom .

“ I look at the cup half full . By statistics , we know that Muslims are a minority in Penang . The population of Penang is one-third Muslims . It means , the outside potential is much greater ,” Aida said .

The rebranding exercise of PHI started in June this year to spring internationally in halal food ecosystem - moving bigger than just Penang . It intends to focus more on collaborations , providing business aids for SMEs and bringing in investors into the development of a full sustainable halal ecosystem .

As we all know , halal and toyyiban have become very crucial for the entire food ecosystem , especially since the outbreak of Covid-19 . Foods which are clean , green and wholesome have become the preferred choice .

“ People need a complete solution to safeguard the food system from farm to fork . Penang Halal International will continue to focus on this ( halal food ecosystem ) because food is still the basic need .

“ We will develop the entire ecosystem , from human knowledge , finance , science , tourism , and healthcare , everything that touches food directly and indirectly ,” she explained .

PHI holds onto its core plan – that is ‘ Advancing Halal Lifestyle ’ by embracing good practices of iHalal which stands for integrity , humility , accountability , leadership , agility and learning . Everything is an Islamic concept .

The halal industry has progressed slowly and steadily in Penang . There are more than

700 companies in Penang which are certified halal .

According to a consolidated data estimated from one of Penang ' s agencies , it showed it had about 4,700 SMEs registered under foods and food processing .

At the moment , PHI is looking at 15 per cent of the SMEs in Penang . PHI sees its role in pulling together resources and helps the halal business operators , especially F & B and manufacturing industries , industry to survive and develop long-term sustainability . The number of merchants PHI helped and supported is reaching 7,000 .

“ Starting in June during the pandemic , a lot of businesses were impacted . So , we have partnered with Shopee to launch a Penang E-mall .

“ During the Ramadhan month , we quickly tied-up a partnership with Food Panda and deployed the halal flip to make halal food accessible . We use the partnership design so that things move faster ,” she further added .

To expand the halal space further , PHI is talking with investment agencies , institutions , local and foreign with a specific halal section .

For the SMEs , PHI introduced a series of E-Commerce training in terms of digital ventures . “ We train them on how to engage with customers and even educate them on how to manage a loan book according to guidelines and participate with all the banks to come together .”

The training is conducted within two months .

“ We also introduced affordable , endorsed halal training courses that require shorter time to complete . It is also aimed to address building skillsets and become competent .”

PHI also aims to focus on women-centric products such as wearables , healthcare products , cosmetics , personal hygiene , kitchenware , and even a work system that helps the women to facilitate their work and being able to multitask . For this , PHI will be launching a brand new programme called the International Inspirasi Khadijah 2020 .

“ Our upcoming virtual event is the International Inspirasi Khadijah 2020 , where we will showcase and promote booths of womencentric business products .”

The International Inspirasi Khadijah 2020 will be held virtually on Dec 18-20 this year .

Geographically , Penang has the port and we have a very robust ecosystem . Penang is close to the natural resources , from plants , rice , fisheries – all in one , which is uniquely facilitated .”

PENANG E-MALL ... In partnership with Shopee , PHI has made products by SMEs easily accessible .

REBRANDING ... The networking session and launching of the Rebranding and Milestone of PHI .

TRAINING ... PHI offers a two-month course , training SMEs to get halal certificates from JAKIM .