Latest news with #AseanHalalCouncil
The Star
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Malaysia, Indonesia to lead setting-up of Asean Halal Council
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Indonesia are set to lead the establishment of the Asean Halal Council to position the bloc as a global model for the halal industry, built on high standards and integrity, and to emerge as a competitive, inclusive and sustainable global halal hub, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The Deputy Prime Minister said that with the global halal market projected to reach USD5tril (USD1 = RM4.22) by 2030, Asean must emerge as a leader in developing a complementary and competitive regional halal ecosystem. Ahmad Zahid, who also chairs the Halal Industry Development Council of Malaysia, said both countries had agreed to jointly spearhead the formation of the Asean Halal Council this year. "This will serve as a strategic platform to systematically align halal policies, standards and regulations among ASEAN countries. We are strongly committed to elevating halal cooperation to a higher level, focusing on strengthening the position of both countries' halal products in regional and global markets. "This collaboration will also be a testament to the success of Malaysia's 'Halal Diplomacy' in strengthening the national halal brand globally,' he said in a statement following a strategic meeting with Indonesia's head of the Halal Product Assurance Organising Agency (BPJPH), Haikal Hassan Baras, on the sidelines of the 46th Asean Summit here on Monday (May 26). Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia and Indonesia would intensify joint efforts in halal certification, education, research and halal workforce development. He said Malaysia also fully supports expert exchange programmes, joint training and collaborative research to strengthen the Asean halal value chain. Both countries also agreed to expand halal trade by easing market access for halal products and enhancing mutual recognition of halal certification. "This move will facilitate smoother and more industry-friendly halal trade flows, while supporting the growth of intra-Asean trade. It is expected to have a positive impact on halal market demand in Asean, which comprises nearly 700 million people,' he said. Ahmad Zahid noted that the meeting was a continuation of his recent official visit to Indonesia, which marked the beginning of deeper collaboration between the two nations in leading the development of the regional halal industry. - Bernama
Malay Mail
26-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Malaysia, Indonesia to lead establishment of Asean Halal Council, says Zahid
KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — Malaysia and Indonesia are set to lead the establishment of the Asean Halal Council to position the bloc as a global model for the halal industry, built on high standards and integrity, and to emerge as a competitive, inclusive and sustainable global halal hub, said Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The deputy prime minister said that with the global halal market projected to reach USD5 trillion (USD1 = RM4.22) by 2030, Asean must emerge as a leader in developing a complementary and competitive regional halal ecosystem. Ahmad Zahid, who also chairs the Halal Industry Development Council of Malaysia, said both countries had agreed to jointly spearhead the formation of the Asean Halal Council this year. 'This will serve as a strategic platform to systematically align halal policies, standards and regulations among Asean countries. We are strongly committed to elevating halal cooperation to a higher level, focusing on strengthening the position of both countries' halal products in regional and global markets. 'This collaboration will also be a testament to the success of Malaysia's 'Halal Diplomacy' in strengthening the national halal brand globally,' he said in a statement following a strategic meeting with Indonesia's head of the Halal Product Assurance Organising Agency (BPJPH), Haikal Hassan Baras, on the sidelines of the 46th Asean Summit here today. Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia and Indonesia would intensify joint efforts in halal certification, education, research and halal workforce development. He said Malaysia also fully supports expert exchange programmes, joint training and collaborative research to strengthen the Asean halal value chain. Both countries also agreed to expand halal trade by easing market access for halal products and enhancing mutual recognition of halal certification. 'This move will facilitate smoother and more industry-friendly halal trade flows, while supporting the growth of intra-Asean trade. It is expected to have a positive impact on halal market demand in Asean, which comprises nearly 700 million people,' he said. Ahmad Zahid noted that the meeting was a continuation of his recent official visit to Indonesia, which marked the beginning of deeper collaboration between the two nations in leading the development of the regional halal industry. — Bernama
The Star
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Malaysia proposes setting up Asean Halal Council
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has proposed the creation of an Asean Halal Council to strengthen strategic cooperation in the regional halal industry, facilitate the entry of halal products between countries, and boost intra-Asean trade, which has yet to reach its full potential. Halal Development Corp (HDC) chairman Azwan Harun said Malaysia made the proposal during the Malaysia-Indonesia halal industry roundtable session in Jakarta on April 22, which was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the head of Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance Organising Agency, Ahmad Haikal Hassan. 'This Asean Halal Council will serve as a platform to streamline trade, expand markets, and harmonise the use of halal logos while also tapping into a regional market of nearly 700 million people,' Azwan told Bernama. At the conference, both countries also proposed easing the entry of halal products by mutually recognising Malaysian and Indonesian halal certificates without additional procedures or inspections. Azwan said this will not only save costs and time, but is expected to boost bilateral trade between Malaysia and Indonesia, especially for micro, small, and medium enterprises seeking to penetrate a combined market of over 240 million Muslims. 'Malaysian products certified halal and regulated by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia can be marketed directly in Indonesia, and vice versa. 'This is a game changer that will immediately increase the export value of our halal products,' he said. Azwan added that Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to lead efforts to enhance intra-Asean trade, particularly for halal products, to capitalise on the potential of the regional halal market, currently valued at about US$1.3 trillion. 'Malaysia and Indonesia play a catalytic role in this effort, as both are the largest Islamic economies in the region. 'Strengthening halal trade among Asean countries will position the grouping as a competitive halal economic bloc,' he said. Azwan noted that these three strategic outcomes align with the Halal Diplomacy framework outlined by the government through HDC to ensure Malaysia remains a global leader in the halal industry. He added that the implementation of the three key initiatives will be refined at the Halal Industry Development Council meeting on May 29, chaired by Ahmad Zahid, before being officially finalised by the Asean Secretariat. According to Azwan, the concept of halal diplomacy, led by Ahmad Zahid, focuses on sharing Malaysia's expertise in developing the halal ecosystem with friendly countries, particularly within Asean. He said Malaysia, through HDC, has taken a proactive approach to expanding the influence of the halal industry into non-traditional markets such as North Africa, Central Asia, and West Asia through a strategy called 'halal diplomacy'. 'We cannot move alone. Malaysia and Indonesia need to collaborate as a unified Asean halal entity to meet the global halal market demand, as producing countries can only fulfil 20% of the requirements. 'HDC is also working with the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry, and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corp to accelerate business matching between Malaysian and Indonesian halal industry players, including in halal logistics, pharmaceuticals and halal park development.' Malaysia aims to achieve halal export values exceeding RM260bil by 2030 under the Halal Industry Master Plan by promoting six key sectors: food and beverages, ingredients, logistics, cosmetics and nutraceuticals, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Meanwhile, Azwan urged halal industry players to be more aggressive in realising the digital transformation of the halal system, including certification and standards, to ensure Malaysia maintains its position as a leading global halal ecosystem. He said this transformation is crucial to enhancing the efficiency and transparency of the halal supply chain, in line with advancing technologies and increasingly sophisticated market demands. A science, technology, and innovation (STI)-based approach is also seen as a key driver in revolutionising the local halal system through technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and the Internet of things, he added. 'Digital transformation will not only accelerate certification processes but also boost consumer confidence and facilitate monitoring of halal standard compliance throughout the value chain. 'Malaysia, which has long been a benchmark in the development of the global halal industry, now faces the challenge of remaining relevant in the digital era,' he said. Therefore, he added that close collaboration among government agencies, industry players and STI researchers is essential to realise a sustainable and competitive digital halal ecosystem.
Malay Mail
27-04-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Malaysia pushes for Asean Halal Council at Jakarta talks to boost trade, harmonise certification
KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — Malaysia has proposed the creation of an Asean Halal Council to strengthen strategic cooperation in the regional halal industry, facilitate the entry of halal products between countries, and boost intra-Asean trade, which has yet to reach its full potential. Halal Development Corporation (HDC) chairman Azwan Harun said Malaysia made the proposal during the Malaysia-Indonesia halal industry roundtable session in Jakarta on April 22, which was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the head of Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) Ahmad Haikal Hassan. 'This Asean Halal Council will serve as a platform to streamline trade, expand markets, and harmonise the use of halal logos while also tapping into a regional market of nearly 700 million people,' he told Bernama. At the conference, both countries also proposed easing the entry of halal products by mutually recognising Malaysian and Indonesian halal certificates without additional procedures or inspections. Azwan said this initiative will not only save costs and time but is expected to boost bilateral trade between Malaysia and Indonesia, especially for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) seeking to penetrate a combined market of over 240 million Muslims. 'Malaysian products certified halal and regulated by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) can be marketed directly in Indonesia, and vice versa. This is a game changer that will immediately increase the export value of our halal products,' he said. Azwan added that Malaysia and Indonesia have also agreed to lead efforts to enhance intra-Asean trade, particularly for halal products, to capitalise on the regional halal market potential, currently at US$1.3 trillion (RM5.69 trillion). 'Malaysia and Indonesia play a catalytic role in this effort, as both are the largest Islamic economies in the region. 'Strengthening halal trade among Asean countries will position the grouping as a competitive halal economic bloc,' he said. Azwan noted that these three strategic outcomes align with the Halal Diplomacy framework outlined by the government through HDC to ensure Malaysia remains a global leader in the halal industry. He added that the implementation of these three key initiatives will be refined at the Halal Industry Development Council (MPIH) meeting on May 29, chaired by Ahmad Zahid, before being officially finalised by the Asean Secretariat. Halal diplomacy According to Azwan, the concept of halal diplomacy, led by Ahmad Zahid, focuses on sharing Malaysia's expertise in developing the halal ecosystem with friendly countries, particularly within Asean. He said Malaysia, through HDC, has taken a proactive approach to expanding the influence of the halal industry into non-traditional markets such as North Africa, Central Asia, and West Asia through a strategy called 'Halal Diplomacy.' 'We cannot move alone. Malaysia and Indonesia need to collaborate as a unified Asean halal entity to meet the global halal market demand, as producing countries can only fulfil 20 per cent of the requirements. 'HDC is also working with the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (Miti) and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) to accelerate business matching between Malaysian and Indonesian halal industry players, including in halal logistics, pharmaceuticals, and halal park development,' he added. Malaysia aims to achieve halal export values exceeding RM260 billion by 2030 under the Halal Industry Master Plan (Himp 2030) by promoting six key sectors: food and beverages, ingredients, logistics, cosmetics and nutraceuticals, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. Halal digital transformation Meanwhile, Azwan urged halal industry players to be more aggressive in realising the digital transformation of the halal system, including certification and standards, to ensure Malaysia maintains its position as a leading global halal ecosystem. He said this transformation is crucial to enhancing the efficiency and transparency of the halal supply chain, in line with advancing technologies and increasingly sophisticated market demands. A science, technology, and innovation (STI)-based approach is also seen as a key driver in revolutionising the local halal system through technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT), he added. 'Digital transformation will not only accelerate certification processes but also boost consumer confidence and facilitate monitoring of halal standard compliance throughout the value chain. 'Malaysia, which has long been a benchmark in the development of the global halal industry, now faces the challenge of remaining relevant in the digital era,' he said. Therefore, he added that close collaboration among government agencies, industry players, and STI researchers is essential to realise a sustainable and competitive digital halal ecosystem. — Bernama
