COVER STORY

@ Halal | September-October. 2025

• The Women in Halal Industry( WHI) initiative, launched in June 2025, strengthens women’ s role in Malaysia’ s halal economy.

• Datin Paduka Hajah Hakimah and Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad stress women’ s central role in policymaking, governance, and international engagement for sustainable growth.

• From 2023 to 2025, Malaysia’ s halal industry contributed RM149 billion to GDP and RM61.8 billion in exports, with substantial input from women entrepreneurs.

The event was attended by key figures, including Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’ s Department( Religious Affairs)

WHI LAUNCH: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi signs the official WHI initiative in Putrajaya, witnessed by key dignitaries including Senator Dr Zulkifli Hasan, Hairol Ariffein Sahari, and Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.

Senator Dr Zulkifli Hasan, and Halal Development Corporation( HDC) Chief Executive Officer( CEO) Hairol Ariffein Sahari.

Led by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in collaboration with HDC, WHI is a strategic effort to empower women’ s participation and leadership across Malaysia’ s halal economy. It creates a platform to recognise and strengthen women’ s contributions in policymaking, certification, entrepreneurship, academia, and tourism.

The initiative comes at a time when the Halal Industry Master Plan 2030( HIMP 2030) is delivering strong results. Between 2023 and 2025, the halal industry contributed RM149 billion to Malaysia’ s GDP, with exports reaching RM61.8 billion. Malaysia’ s 14 halal parks, covering over 80,000 hectares, recorded cumulative investments of RM3.8 billion in the first quarter of 2025.

Together, HIMP 2030 and WHI underscore Malaysia’ s commitment to maintaining its position as a global halal leader, while ensuring that women are not only participants but also key shapers of the industry’ s future.

MALAYSIA’ S success as a halal powerhouse is not built solely on policy frameworks. It is also the result of visionary women shaping strategy, governance, and inclusivity at every level.

Among them, Halal Affairs Coordinator in the Prime Minister’ s Department, Datin Paduka Hakimah Mohd Yusoff, and Deputy Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development, Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, are driving efforts to integrate women more deeply into Malaysia’ s halal leadership.

Hakimah highlights her mission to ensure seamless coordination among key agencies, including the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia( JAKIM), Halal Development Corporation( HDC), Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation( MATRADE), and the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry( MITI). She envisions Malaysia not only

Datin Paduka Hakimah

Mohd Yusoff as a halal product exporter but also as the world’ s premier knowledge partner for halal development.

“ Our goal is to consolidate efforts and move towards a dedicated one-stop centre for Halal Malaysia,” said Hakimah.

Expanding into high-value sectors such as halal biotechnology, digital services, and supply chain transparency is key to this vision.

Maintaining leadership requires constant innovation in certification. Hakimah highlights initiatives such as blockchain traceability and electronic certification, which safeguard integrity while streamlining processes. On the global stage, Malaysia’ s active role in international bodies, such as the Standards and

Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries( SMIIC), ensures that its perspectives are embedded in halal frameworks. Women leaders are essential in this regard, bringing inclusivity and balanced representation to Malaysia’ s halal diplomacy.

For Noraini, women’ s contributions must be at the heart of halal policymaking. She stresses that the halal economy is about more than compliance. It is also about inclusivity, sustainability, and community development. Women leaders, she notes, bring perspectives that embed ethical growth and innovation into Malaysia’ s halal ecosystem.

POLICY INFLUENCE

Hakimah’ s motivation stems from amanah, the trust to ensure halal standards are upheld with integrity. Having served as Director-General of JAKIM, she has witnessed how women strengthen Malaysia’ s global reputation.

“ We are not merely pursuing commercial objectives, but fulfilling a responsibility to safeguard the integrity of halal worldwide,” said Hakimah.

Noraini reinforces this by highlighting that inclusivity is not just an added value but a necessity for sustainable halal growth. Her advocacy ensures women are not only represented but also recognised as innovators and decision-makers.

Together, leaders like Hakimah and Noraini exemplify how women’ s leadership is not only enriching Malaysia’ s halal ecosystem but also securing its place as a global halal reference point. Their work highlights a critical truth: women are no longer supporting actors in the halal economy. They are leading voices shaping its direction.-

Datuk Seri Dr Noraini

Ahmad