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BY YUMI ZUHANIS HAS- YUN HASHIM
International Institute
for Halal Research and
Training( INHART),
International Islamic
University Malaysia
( IIUM)
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THE halls of Mardhiyyah Hotel & Suites in Shah Alam pulsed with energy as 50 invited participants gathered for the Colloquium on Halal Human Vaccine Development: A Shariah and Science Perspective on Aug 12-13. Unlike large-scale conferences, this colloquium was deliberately intimate. Scientists, Shariah scholars, industry leaders, regulators and academics were chosen for their direct role in Malaysia’ s halal vaccine journey. The result was not a passive audience but an active circle of contributors who questioned, debated and co-designed solutions.
Jointly organised by INHART( IIUM), the National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia( NIBM), and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation( MOSTI), the colloquium provided a platform where Shariah integrity, scientific innovation, and national policy converged under one roof.
DAY 1: SCIENCE MEETS SHARIAH
The opening session featured Prof Dr Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun Hashim, Dean of INHART, and Prof Dr Mohamed Aslam Mohamed Haneef, Deputy Rector of
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Research, Innovation and Development, IIUM.
The programme was officiated by Dr Mohd Azlan Zaharudin, Director of the Malaysia Vaccine Project Office( MVPO) at MOSTI. Collectively, the speakers urged Malaysia to take a proactive role in halal vaccine research, both for national health security and to position the country as a global leader in halal standards.
Plenary sessions gave participants a holistic view of halal vaccine development: Prof Dr Azizi Ayob( Radilab Diagnostics) emphasised Malaysia’ s target of two halal vaccines by 2027 under the MyPRICISE framework, stressing halal-critical points in production. Prof Dr Norazmi Mohd Nor( Universiti Sains Malaysia) outlined the costly, complex vaccine pipeline from lab bench to licensure, reminding that vaccines remain the most costeffective public health tool. Assoc Prof Dr Yasmin Hanani Mohd Safian( Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia) situated vaccines within Maqasid al-shariah, describing them as a collective obligation( fard kifayah) in protecting vulnerable
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groups. Dr Syed Shahridzan Syed Mohamed( Federal Territories Mufti Department) linked vaccination to Islam’ s five essentials( religion, life, intellect, lineage, and property) while referencing existing fatwas.
The room was alive with exchange as participants leaned forward, took notes, and pressed speakers with questions that tied back to their own expertise.
DAY 2: INDUSTRY REALITIES
The second day shifted from frameworks to practice in a forum titled“ Halal Vaccines in the Global Market: Industry Perspectives and Regulatory Challenges.” Moderated by Prof Dr Irwandi Jaswir( INHART, IIUM), the panel featured Azalina Mohd Ghazalli( Duopharma Biotech Bhd), Assoc Prof Dr Zalina Zakaria( University of Malaya), and Dr Badarulhisam Abdul Rahman( Pharmaniaga Bhd).
The forum was candid. Malaysia has facilities and expertise, but inconsistent financing has slowed progress. Speakers emphasised the importance of supply chain transparency— from raw material sourcing to warehousing— and
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