PETALING JAYA: Halal Development Corporation Bhd (HDC) aims to promote Malaysia’s halal branding and foster collaboration with foreign companies at the World Halal Business Conference Circuit 2023 (WHBC Circuit) in the UK.
Chairman Khairul Azwan Harun pointed out that the certification issued by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) is globally recognised and can be regarded as a Malaysian brand that is an asset or commodity to the country.
Currently, he said, the demand for the Jakim halal certificate is huge with more than 150 countries eager to cooperate with HDC and Jakim.
“As of now, there are 84 certification bodies from 47 countries worldwide, that have used our standards and worked with Jakim for their respective certification in their countries.
“So, we continue (our efforts) to ensure Malaysia’s position as a global leader in the halal economy through our resilient certification process,” he told reporters after the pre-launch of the WHBC Circuit today.
Khairul said that Malaysia can leverage its position through working together and assisting multinational companies to obtain the halal certification and concurrently, entice the companies to expand into the country.
“It is a multi pronged strategy, we assist multinational companies to obtain the Jakim halal certification, we bring them into a new halal market. At the same time, we want them to open up their operations in Malaysia and contribute to the economy,” he added.
He said that the foreign direct investment through expansion will boost the economy as the locally produced goods which are exported, will increase Malaysia’s export value. At the same time, the economy will benefit from the tax collection and job creation for the locals.
Presently, he noted that the global halal market size is at US$3 trillion (RM14.13 trillion), which is anticipated to grow to US$5 trillion (RM23.56 trillion) in 2030.
He added that Malaysia has set to increase its halal economy contribution to RM230 billion in 2030, or 10.8% of the gross domestic product from 2022’s RM60 billion.
“Are we only aiming to flourish domestically? We want to also benefit from the huge immense potential in the global halal market. Directly or indirectly, it will definitely benefit the Malaysian economy,” he said.
Meanwhile, the WHBC is organised by HDC and hosted by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry. Themed “Halal Opportunities in a Borderless World”, it will be the second event abroad after WHBC Melbourne, last year.
The event aims to make a significant contribution to the development of the halal industries in Malaysia, the UK as well as across the European Union.
It is one of the government’s strategies to make Malaysia a global halal hub. In addition, the conference will be a platform for the global business community to network.
Source : The Sun Daily
