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halal industry is now in a better position to offer the world a possible solution for today ’ s rapidly changing business landscape , one that is both good and wholesome , and embodies every inherent universal value known to mankind .

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin ’ s message was delivered by Datuk Sri Mustapa Mohamed , Minister in the Prime Minister ’ s Department for Economic Affairs , during the 12th World Halal Conference .

The Prime Minister noted the devastation wreaked by the Covid-19 pandemic was both apparent and widespread .

The subsequent global disruptions to aggregate supply and demand has resulted in a contraction of the world GDP by almost five per cent this year , according to IMF estimates , concluding that the longer this pandemic continues , the more damaging it is to global growth and trade .

Globalisation has also brought its fair share of challenges that need to be addressed by everyone . More intense competition amongst nations has resulted in geopolitical shifts and consequential trade tensions .

The massive disruption of the global economy due to trade tensions that impacted the supply chains that connect to most , if not all economies , is still very much a threat .

Enter halal and its inherent universal values .

From sustainability to restoring the health of people and the planet , care for animals and the environment , fair trade , ethical consumerism , halal is the perfect answer to how the world can manage the direct consequences of the Covid-19 crisis , and come out better and stronger .

The solution was established 1,400 years ago when Islam was reintroduced to the world .

The central concern of development in an Islamic economic system is human welfare . Hence , the core principles of the Islamic economy are universal values , which promote inclusion , equity , property rights and ethics .

Such is the natural connection between Islamic principles and the United Nations ’ Sustainable Development Goals 2030 or SDG 2030 , which is in line with the very basic objective of Islamic jurisprudence or shariah which emphasises on the wellbeing of the people .

A legal obligation

This is further reflected in the Islamic ruling that producing halal food is Fardhu Kifayah , a legal obligation that must be discharged by the Muslim community . It is incumbent on every capable Muslim halal producer to

BY CAMILIA REZALI

is worth around RM291 billion ? And the number is predicted to grow to RM624 billion by 2030 .

Due to the heightening demand for halal products by dint of the pandemic , it is no surprise if the global market for halal grew bigger than it is projected , propelled by the growing Muslim population followed with halal awareness among non-Muslims .

Even if there was a demand in the halal market among Muslims and non-Muslims , the world had not yet reached a complete halal ecosystem . Nonetheless , authorising the concept of halal throughout the community worldwide takes a combined effort as it cannot be done single-handedly . The fact was highlighted through a discourse session on ‘ Empowering the Halal Community ’ during the 12th World Halal Conference on Oct 6 , 2020 .

Speaking on the topic were three distinguished panellists — the Ambassador of Japan Hiroshi Oka , Australian High Commissioner Andrew John Lech Goledzinowski and Russian Ambassador Naiyl M . Latypov . The session was moderated by Kamarul Bahrin Harun , Editor and Journalist , Astro AWANI .

Presence of halal

Halal is very much present among the community in Japan and Australia , specifically in terms of the availability of halal food products and halal food manufacturing . According to Hiroshi , Japan now has seven JAKIM-certified listed east foods . Japan also has two livestock processing plants which have also been given the JAKIM certificate .

The country has seen an increase of more than five times of Malaysians coming to Japan over the past 15 years and the number of Malaysian students studying in Japan is one and a half times larger .

Said Hiroshi : “ One of the unexpected pleasant discovery here in Malaysia is the popularity of Japanese food . Seventy per cent of the Malaysian population who have gone to Japan responded that the primary objective of visiting Japan is to enjoy Japanese food .

“ In 10 years , the halal market in doubled to one billion . And we are expecting the Tokyo Olympics to take place next year . In 2025 , we will be hosting the Osaka Expo . We presume the trend of the halal market will continue ,” he added .

So , would there be more chances to expand the halal community through the Tokyo Olympics ? Hiroshi believes the event will be a good platform for the Malaysian halal industry to put forward its wide range of halal delicacies .

In Australia , halal is well understood . The country had decided very early that all of its meat , in particular , would be halal . It was a smart decision made by the Australian abattoirs . Rather than having halal and non-halal meat sections , they decided to make everything halal .

“ When I first came to Malaysia , I knew that Australian food exports , particularly meat exports , are 100 per cent halal . But I didn ’ t know what halal was . I only knew about the religious observance and procedures ,” Goledzinowski said during the panel discussion .

“ What I ’ ve learnt since I ’ ve been here – partly by attending these conferences – is that the core of halal delivers a simple message . It is about food that is clean , green and wholesome . That is what halal is fundamentally about .”

Moving on to Russia , the number of halal restaurants and halal department stores are increasing very rapidly , mainly in Moscow due to their understanding and need for a clean , green , and safe product .

Forty per cent of the Russian population are Muslims , and the number is expected to grow because there ’ s a lot of migrants from different countries .

“ We don ’ t have a particular halal economy production share because we don ’ t have a structural body like JAKIM in Malaysia . But because we have a lot of Muslims in our country , we very well know

Andrew John Lech Goledzinowski

Hiroshi Oka

what halal means ,” said Naiyl .

Naiyl M . Latypov

Kamarul Bahrin Harun

Establishing collaborations

Malaysia has grown its sector over the past decade , and it has now become a reference point for halal standards . How can such expertise be recalibrated at a government-to-government level to accelerate the growth of halal industry ? The answer is through shared knowledge and collaborations .

The cooperation goes deeper between Malaysia and Japan , where collaboration was held between Halal Development Corporation Berhad ( HDC ) and Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA ).

Delegates from the Malaysian government were invited to learn from the experiences and knowledge of Japan in maintaining the quality and safety of food processing . And in return , Malaysia shares its expertise on halal .

“ In terms of the supply chain , the Malaysian halal certificate has given products of Japan a much better access to the Middle Eastern Islamic market ,” shared Hiroshi .

“ I think the Coronavirus has helped to place halal products on greater marketability .