Malaysia Urged to Guard Halal Industry Strategies to Maintain Global Leadership

Photo source from Facebook Zahid Hamidi

Halal industry players in the country are advised not to be too open in sharing knowledge, strategies, and marketing tactics with other countries, in order to ensure that Malaysia remains a leader in certification and the production of world-class halal products, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Chairman of the National Halal Council, emphasized that excessive sharing of information could enable other countries to replicate Malaysia's approach, thereby jeopardizing the country’s position as a leader in halal products that has been established since 1974.

“As an example, Malaysia was once the number one producer and exporter of rubber and palm oil in the world, as well as a leader in Islamic banking. However, we had to concede when we fell behind neighboring countries due to sharing too much knowledge and strategy,” he said while officiating the 2024 Halal Ecosystem Transformation Workshop at Seri Pacific Hotel, Kuala Lumpur this morning.

Ahmad Zahid stated that an overly 'generous' attitude in sharing knowledge, technology, and expertise needs to be controlled for the sake of national interests.

The Halal Ecosystem Transformation Workshop 2024 is a programme jointly organised by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), Halal Development Corporation (HDC), Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and the Bumiputera Economic Congress secretariat, was attended by approximately 100 participants including the Minister at Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar and MARA chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

Photo source from Facebook Zahid Hamidi

In his speech, Ahmad Zahid stated that coordination among various agencies, departments, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) needs to be intensified to ensure that Malaysia remains a leader, not only in halal certification but also in the production of halal products, including Islamic banking services and others.

“Our intentions and goals are good, but how can we ensure that stakeholders are not left confused? We must avoid situations where everyone has the same objectives but acts in different ways,” he said.

He also emphasized the importance of Malaysia maintaining its position in the halal industry, given that the country's certification is widely recognized by both Muslim and non-Muslim countries around the world.

Moreover, he stated that halal industry players should take advantage of the promising market opportunities, as the global halal economy is expected to reach USD 5 trillion by 2030, up from USD 3 trillion this year.

"The market is large, but how much is our contribution from that total? Our halal product exports only amount to RM53.7 billion. Although in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), we contribute 8.1 percent to halal product exports, the reality is that it is still very small," he said.

Ahmad Zahid also stated that even though Malaysia has been involved in the halal industry for nearly 50 years, the country still lacks a strong halal policy.

Therefore, he emphasized the need to establish a halal research and innovation center, even though JAKIM has already initiated efforts in this field.

"As an institution, leaders come and go, as the directors of halal certification divisions will retire after a certain period, even though there is continuity. However, we do not utilize their expertise after they retire," he said.

Ahmad Zahid proposed that the upcoming research center should invite retired experts, along with new specialists, to innovate halal products and services.

He also announced that starting next year, September will be designated as the annual Halal Product Month.

Source: Bernama

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