November-December . 2022 | @ HalalSpecial Edition
SME
Selangor Halal
17
Shifting to a new strategic phase
Halal International Selangor moves its focus to actively promoting halal SMEs
BY FATIHAH MANAF
SELANGOR is a strategic location with a comprehensive business ecosystem . Acknowledging Selangor ’ s potential in the halal industry , Halal International Selangor ( HIS ), a whollyowned subsidiary of Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated , has been at the forefront of spearheading many halal initiatives in the State since its inception in 2016 .
According to HIS Chief Executive Officer Mat Ghazali Abd Rakim , HIS is moving from concentrating on only capacity development to actively planning and promoting SMEs in the halal industry .
“ There are many changes in what we do to engage industrial leaders to get halal certification and produce halal products . HIS encourages them to make halal products for not only the local market but also the global market .
“ As we rise from the endemic era of Covid-19 , Selangor ’ s halal industry , especially , has seen the increasing number of SMEs applying for halal certificates and eager to capture the global halal market ,” said Mat Ghazali .
He revealed that HIS ’ s main plan since 2016 was more on halal capacity development , focusing on promoting halal awareness to the public and conducting halal certificate training .
“ Nearly 5,500 companies in Selangor have halal certification at present . Once these companies get the halal certificate , they can produce and supply halal products to the market . It is easier as the public is now more aware of halal in food and beverages ( F & B ), pharmaceuticals , cosmetics , personal care and many more .”
BRINGING SELANGOR COMPANIES TO MIHAS 2022
HIS also encourages halal players to get hazard analysis critical control points ( HACCP ), and proper packaging from original equipment manufacturer ( OEM ) companies so that their products will be suitable for the export market .
“ Since the reopening of the economy ,
Mat Ghazali Abd Rakim
we can see a lot of expos and conferences being held in the country and internationally . HIS plays its role by participating in as many expos as possible and bringing along companies with halal certificates in Selangor that would like to join HIS under Selangor Pavilion .
“ Malaysia International Halal Showcase ( MIHAS ) 2022 was the first time that HIS participated and organised for Selangor State . Around 28 companies took part and joined the Selangor Pavilion . HIS aims to
expose Selangor ’ s halal SMEs and halal products to local and international markets .
“ We also encourage them to participate in business matching locally and abroad . We want to build networking for all companies under the Selangor Pavilion to engage among industry players , local and abroad . The segment for Selangor ’ s participation in MIHAS this year ranged from pharmaceuticals , F & B , cosmetics , and services such as Northport and Online Training ,” shared Mat Ghazali .
Nearly 5,500 companies in Selangor have halal certification at present . Once these companies get the halal certificate , they can produce and supply halal products to the market . It is easier as the public is now more aware of halal in food and beverages ( F & B ), pharmaceuticals , cosmetics , personal care and many more .”
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FOR SELANGOR ’ S BUSINESSES
Mat Ghazali added that one of HIS initiatives to grow the State ’ s halal industry is to bring as many SMEs to any expos participated by the company . They will be given subsidies to participate in the Selangor Pavilion Booth from grants provided by the State government .
“ With this , SMEs get the exposure to make their products known to the local and international market . HIS arranged business matchings for example with Asean Halal Mall and Halal Street UK , where the participants in Selangor Pavilion during MIHAS 2022 got a chance to do such business matching sessions .
“ Through this engagement , the participants will have the opportunity to market their products to Southeast Asian countries and the UK , respectively .”
HIS has inked a memorandum of understanding ( MoU ) with the European Halal Development Agency ( EHDA ) in the UK , which is responsible for capacity development and the halal industry in the UK . Other than that , HIS collaborated with Penang Halal International ( PHI ) to work together and complement each other on improving the halal industry .
“ HIS signed several MoUs during MIHAS 2022 . They were with Asean Halal Mall , Halal Street UK , Kolej Universiti Islam Selangor , DPIM Selangor and Halal Food Federation ( HFF ) in the UK . We are in negotiations to sign an MoU with the Government of Victoria , Australia , to promote halal products between Selangor and Australia ,” said Mat Ghazali .
He believed industry players must actively engage in automation and global networking to thrive in the halal industry . They must also vigorously advertise their products and use e-commerce platforms to sell them .
“ The most important aspect that halal players need to adopt is the involvement of technology in their businesses . For halal industry players to thrive , they must incorporate technology and social media in their businesses to expose their products to a broader range of people , especially the younger generation .”
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