COLUMN

@ Halal | September-October. 2026

YUMI ZUHANIS HAS-YUN HASHIM

AND

ANIS NAJIHA AHMAD

International Institute for Halal Research and Training( INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia

Malaysia ' s Halal Industry Master Plan 2030 likewise seeks to develop local champions and move the economy towards higher-value activities( Halal Development Corporation Berhad, 2023).

Yet one question deserves a candid answer: if industry benefits commercially from the halal ecosystem, is it contributing enough to build the knowledge, capability and infrastructure on which that benefit depends?

This matters most in technically complex sectors such as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology, cosmetics and medical devices, where halal development extends far beyond submitting an application, passing an audit and displaying a certification mark. It requires credible science, appropriate Shariah deliberation, practical guidance, traceable materials, specialised expertise and sustained investment.

ENABLING BECOMES THE DEFAULT

Public institutions have often carried much of the early burden because emerging areas require coordination and persistent investment. This support remains important.

The problem begins when an enabling role becomes the default: agencies are expected to finance new guidelines, universities to win grants for industryrelevant questions, public laboratories to establish specialised tests, and educators to close every talent gap. Industry cannot wait for others to build the road and appear only when it is ready for commercial traffic.

This is not to say industry contributes nothing. Many firms provide experts, serve on committees, host trainees and invest in assurance systems. The more precise concern is that these contributions are uneven and not yet embedded as a normal cost of developing a credible halal market. The ecosystem then advances only as fast as public budgets allow.

COMPLIANCE IS NOT THE FINISH LINE

Compliance is essential: a manufacturer must meet standards, maintain documentation, control its supply chain and satisfy certification requirements. But compliance is the minimum price of entry into a regulated market. Obtaining the halal logo does not, by itself, mean a company has helped solve the scientific, technical and supply-chain problems that make certification possible.

Contribution begins when companies help address shared problems. This means supporting research, sharing

� Securing halal certification does not mean companies have contributed to the research, expertise, standards and supply chains that make certification possible.

� Companies benefiting from halal market access and consumer confidence should contribute expertise, data, facilities and proportionate funding to strengthen the ecosystem.

� Government, industry, academia, regulators and society must move from symbolic collaboration to genuine co-investment and co-creation if Malaysia is to build a sustainable, higher-value halal economy.

technical knowledge, developing halalsuitable materials, strengthening talent and participating early in standards development. It reflects the broader shift from one-way knowledge transfer towards co-creation. An OECD review describes this shift through mechanisms such as joint funding, shared facilities and mixed research teams( Guimón, 2019).

The distinction matters greatly in halal pharmaceuticals. Halal-critical questions may involve not only the ingredients declared in a finished product, but also cell-culture media, enzymes, serum, processing aids, filters, cleaning agents and residual impurities. Sound requirements therefore depend on scientific evidence, Shariah analysis, regulatory understanding and knowledge of actual manufacturing processes.

Universities and halal authorities cannot generate this knowledge in isolation. Manufacturers hold process data, operational experience and insight into technological and regulatory constraints.

Where such knowledge is absent at the development stage, a guideline may later prove impractical, scientifically incomplete or disproportionately costly. Constructive participation at the beginning is more productive than criticism after requirements is finalised.

Malaysia already has a useful precedent. The development structure recorded in MS 2424: 2019 Halal pharmaceuticals( General requirements) brought together halal authorities, regulators, universities, professional bodies and pharmaceutical manufacturers( Department of Standards Malaysia, 2019). Workable requirements need the evidence and experience of all relevant parties.

A further example comes from within the Islamic economy itself. As Islamic finance matured, financial institutions did not merely comply with Shari ' ah rules; they developed internal Shari ' ah governance mechanisms, contributed to industry standard-setting through bodies such as AAOIFI, and supported the growth of specialist education, training and research. Halal manufacturing, particularly in its more technical segments, faces a comparable opportunity.

THE QUINTUPLE HELIX CANNOT RUN ON FOUR

The Quintuple Helix Innovation Model connects five domains: government, industry, academia, the public or civil society( including media and culture), and the natural environment. Carayannis, Barth and Campbell( 2012) note that the Quintuple Helix adds the natural environment to the earlier four-helix system, tying innovation to sustainable development.

The model becomes superficial, however, when collaboration is measured only by attendance, endorsement or visibility. Genuine collaboration means sharing work, resources, evidence and risk, and asking how innovation affects both society and the environment. This ethic of shared responsibility is rooted in the Quranic command to cooperate in goodness and righteousness:

"… Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness, and do not cooperate in sin and transgression. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is severe in punishment."( Quran, Al-Maidah, 5:2)

Applied to the halal ecosystem, these words call for substantive cooperation, with responsibilities shared across all five helices.

For halal pharmaceuticals, this could mean public agencies coordinate technical guidelines while manufacturers contribute experts, anonymised process information, case studies and proportionate funding.

Universities may lead the research while companies enable access to facilities, materials and real production questions. Standards and certification bodies keep their independent roles, while civil society and responsible media connect technical development to public trust. The environmental helix demands equal attention to responsible sourcing, waste, water, energy and the wider toyyib consequences of production.