16 Sabah SMEs for int’l halal expo
KOTA KINABALU: A total of 16 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from Sabah will be participating in the upcoming Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS).
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau said the expo would feature 700 companies and was expected to gather over 20,000 visitors from around the globe.
Tangau, who is also the Trade and Industry Minister, said the participation of Sabahans in the expo was an initiative set out by an agency under his ministry - the Department of Industrial Development and Research (DIDR) - in line with the ministry’s vision to further elevate Sabah’s homegrown products, both domestically and internationally.
For last year alone, MIHAS had managed to gain RM1.52 billion in earnings, which saw an increase compared to the RM1.01 billion earned in 2017.
Tangau, who spoke to reporters during a press conference on Wednesday, reckoned that the increase proved that MIHAS was not an ordinary expo as it clearly served as a catalyst for growth for SMEs within the country.
“For this year, I believe there would be more opportunities that could be be explored by the 16 SMEs,” he said, adding that the SMEs would be offering mainly cosmetic and food products.
Previously, there were only seven SMEs from Sabah that were sent for the expo; the number was then increased due to incredible performances by some of the SMEs.
The 16 SMEs are Mama Best Food Manufacturer Sdn Bhd, Cahaya Kasih Sdn Bhd, Magna Wave Sdn Bhd, Gaya Naturals Sdn Bhd, Hajah Yanong Food Industries Sdn Bhd, Pemborong Mangkab Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Mercu Sutera Sdn Bhd, D’One Habib Trading, Sinar Niaga Corporation, AFCL Bioscience Sdn Bhd, Don Sin Sdn Bhd, KFI Distribution Sdn Bhd, Teck Guan Trading Sdn Bhd, C&F Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Twinine Sdn Bhd and Innomatt Food Industry Sdn Bhd.
The 16th edition of the said expo will be held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Kuala Lumpur, from April 3 to April 6.
Commenting on the recent Foodex 2019, which was held earlier this month in Japan, Tangau said the four Sabah companies that participated had successfully gained RM4.96 million in profit.
“Apart from that, there is also an ongoing discussion regarding another deal amounting to RM8.9 million.
“If this were to materialise, the total profit gained by Sabah from the Foodex Japan 2019 would reach RM13.86 million,” he added.