Companies in Sabah urged to unlock, seize halal industry

Halal Development Corporation (HDC) is urging companies in Sabah to continue to unlock and seize opportunities in the halal market that will help grow the local economy.

HDC chairman Datuk Mahmud Abbas said Sabah is known as one of the top tourist destinations and agro-based sector such as palm oil-based and coconutbased products, that are the main sources of halal ingredients.

"I would like to urge the locals to continue to explore the halal industry, to enable us to be more competitive and to increase the contribution of the halal industry," he said in a statement yesterday.

As a top travel destination in Malaysia, he said the state has tremendous potential in the halal industry, especially in the Muslim-friendly tourism sector.

He pointed out that there are 590 hotels in the state, of which 36 have obtained the halal certification in 2018.

"If the number of halal-certified hotels increases, more foreign tourists, especially from Muslim countries, are more likely to visit Sabah," he added.

He said at the end of last year, 204 companies in Sabah were halal-certified, a drop from 215 enterprises recorded in 2017.

Mahmud said HDC is working closely with the relevant agencies, both in government and private sectors, to look into the decrease and propose mitigation plans to encourage more halal businesses in Sabah.

"We do not want Sabah to miss this uprising market opportunity,” he said.

According to Mahmud, the Sabah state government owns several Halal Designated Industrial Parks (Halmas), namely Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP), and the Palm

Oil Industrial Cluster in Lahad Datu.

Halmas is an accreditation given to Halal Park operators who have successfully complied with the requirements and guidelines stipulated under the HDC designated Halal Park Development.

It is also a mark of excellence for parks that have noteworthy qualities, namely production of halal products with the highest quality, integrity and safety.

With the Halmas status, operators, industry players and logistics service providers will be able to enjoy incentives to help existing and would-be players in the halal industry. - Bernama