M’sia to ensure a diversified robust halal industry — Zahid
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia aims to ensure a robust and diversified domestic halal industry going forward and transform it into a key economic contributor to Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP), said Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the government would ensure a comprehensive ecosystem that was able to sustain the rapid expansion of the domestic halal industry.
In his keynote address at the launch the World Halal Week (WHW) 2018, here yesterday, Ahmad Zahid said as the leader in the global halal industry, Malaysia through the Malaysia Halal Council had big plans for the world market, one of which is the setting up of the International Halal Authority Board.
“We intend to bring the halal authorities worldwide together, to synchronise procedures involved in issuing halal certification.
“We are also the process of establishing a halal international research academy, the first of its kind in the region” he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the government had completed
We intend to bring the halal authorities worldwide together, to synchronise procedures involved in issuing halal certification.
a framework under the Halal Industry Master Plan 2.0 for the development of the country’s halal industry from now until 2030.
“We need this plan as the previous ones are effective from 2008 to 2020. Such a plan is needed, as there has been many developments within the halal industry, and we do not want to wait until 2020 to introduce new plans,” he added.
As of December 2017, Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia had reaffirmed its position as a leading global halal hub, with annual exports of RM43 billion for halal products, while the industry had attracted investments worth RM13.3 billion in HALMAS Halal Parks.
“These contributed approximately 7.5 per cent to our GDP last year, and to-date, a total of 28,000 jobs have been created,” he added.
By 2030, he said the Muslim population is estimated to make up 27 per cent of global population, indicating increased demand for halal alternatives in various sectors.
At the same time, Ahmad Zahid said the northeast Asian markets like Japan, China and South Korea were already jumping on the bandwagon and opening up their markets for Muslim capital and tourists while new markets had emerged including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and African countries.
“The enlarged number of potential consumers also means an increase in demand. Implementing sound Islamic economic frameworks must therefore be complemented by competitive products and services.
“Certification alone, for example, is not enough. Factors such as quality, pricing, brand positioning and logistics must not be disregarded. There is a need for new technology, while innovation plays an important role, especially so as more companies are going digital,” he said.
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister