IPOH: Malaysia is ready to assist and collaborate with other countries to build a robust halal ecosystem and collectively tap into this economic opportunity.

Halal Development Corporation Bhd (HDC) chief executive officer Hairol Ariffein Sahari said the government had given the mandate to HDC as the central coordinator of halal ecosystem development in Malaysia.

"Our role is to facilitate the onboarding of industry players into the halal economy. We aim to achieve three main objectives.

"First, to increase the number of Malaysian halal experts; second, to boost direct investments in our halal industrial parks; and third, to create employment opportunities for Malaysians in one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world," he said during a forum entitled "Building Tomorrow: The Halal Economy-Malaysia's Leading Role in Building a Robust and Sustainable Ecosystem".

The forum was held in conjunction with the 7th World Conference on Islamic Thought and Civilisation (WCIT2024) at Hotel Casuarina @ Meru today. Hairol was one of the panellists, and the forum was moderated by HDC consultancy and advisory expert Dhaliff Anuar.

"About 15 years ago, when I joined the organisation, I visited several countries, and only a few had any understanding of halal from an economic development perspective.

"However, through vigorous promotional activities by HDC and other agencies, I can now confidently say that the entire world has started discussing halal economic development. It is fascinating to see countries like Uruguay, Peru, Brazil, Japan and Korea come to HDC to learn how Malaysia developed its halal ecosystem," he added.

He said that according to reports, the global halal market is valued at around US$3 trillion, and based on HDC forecasts, it is estimated to grow to US$5 trillion by 2030.

"We realise that the halal economy worldwide is not a competition, but a field where we need to excel throughout the supply chain," he said, adding that the government has introduced initiatives for greater collaboration and cooperation, called "halal diplomacy".

He said this halal diplomacy aims to internationalise the halal economy by connecting Malaysia's halal ecosystem with others worldwide.

"Of course, there will be differences in the ecosystems, but through sharing of knowledge and expertise from HDC, we hope to connect these ecosystems and manage supply and demand gaps, and resolve supply chain disruptions, which are major issues in halal economic development.

"We are very active in providing halal training and consultancy, both at government-to-government and business-to-business levels. We are ready to share our expertise with those interested in developing their halal ecosystem," he added.

Another panellist, Duopharma Biotech Bhd chief executive officer (commercial) Wan Amir-Jeffery Wan Abdul Majid said that Muslims awareness of the importance of obtaining medicines and supplements with halal certification was still low.

He said halal medical industry players should work to raise awareness both locally and internationally.

He said the establishment of the halal pharmaceutical standard MS2424, which is currently being applied, represented a significant step for the country in leading the industry on the global stage.

"Previously, some pharmaceutical products on the market did not have halal certification due to the presence of porcine or pig-derived ingredients.

"We are now seeking alternative sources for these materials in medicine production, including through synthetic methods.

"With today's technological advancements, the medical industry can ensure that products are free from porcine elements or certain contaminants."

He said the halal sector was a large industry with international significance and recommended the development of industrial parks catering to the sector across the country, including Perak, to showcase local strengths.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/1083957/malaysia-set-help-others-build-halal-ecosystem