Latest news with #halal
Malay Mail
16 hours ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
13MP: Malaysia targets RM80b in halal exports, 11pc GDP contribution, says Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — The government is aiming to raise the country's halal export value to RM80 billion and increase the halal industry's contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 11 per cent under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said the government remains focused on strategic sectors that have a high impact on the national economy, including the halal industry, financial services, tourism, the creative industry, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). 'In the 13MP, the country is targeting an increase in halal export value to RM80 billion and for the halal industry's contribution to GDP to rise to 11 per cent,' he said when tabling the plan in the Dewan Rakyat here today. Anwar said efforts to accelerate the country's halal export value are supported by the establishment of the Malaysian Halal Commission and the development of Halal Industrial Parks in Melaka, Perak, and Kelantan. — Bernama
BBC News
24-07-2025
- BBC News
Cardiff wholesaler owner jailed for fake halal meat
Two men have been sentenced for falsely distributing chicken as halal meat to restaurants and takeaways across south Miah, 46, of Kilcredaun House, Cardiff, who owned Universal Food Wholesale Limited, was found guilty after a trial earlier this year and sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for fraudulent trading and trading whilst Rahman, also 46 and from Cardiff, admitted the fraudulent trading offences before the trial started and was given a 24-month suspended offences came to light following an investigation which led to 2,840kg of frozen meat being seized from the pair's warehouse in Cardiff. Prosecutor Alex Greenwood told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court that over a five-year period, consumers of restaurants and takeaways "were in fact consuming non-halal products as a result of the criminality of these two defendants".An investigation was conducted by Cardiff and the Vale Shared Regulatory Services in January found meat was not properly traceable, sell-by dates were altered and the chicken was not properly chilled when it was transported in dirty vans across south and west court heard that the takeaways and restaurants believed they were dealing with a number of different companies and all believed they were buying Halal chicken. Some of the chicken had been bought in as halal meat, but correct hygiene procedures had not been followed in the "cutting room" of the was also used to process non-halal meat meaning that none of it could be accurately described as were long periods of time when the warehouse did not receive halal meat from wholesalers, but continued to supply chicken to restaurants and takeaways who believed it was prosecution said the names of the the businesses affected would not be read in court because of the "highly sensitive" nature of the Greenwood said that the companies set up by the pair enabled them to hide "behind a corporate veil" which was deliberately created to provide a "confusing trail". Judge Vanessa Francis said that the pair had a "cavalier attitude" and were equally added that the "harm in my view is extensive" and that there were "flagrant breaches over a significant period of time".Judge Francis said: "This was a disaster waiting to happen and it is a matter of relief that it never did with the unsafe meat sent out of your premises."She added that the "societal impact" was "difficult to quantify".
Malay Mail
23-07-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Minister clarifies halal status of Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz caterer amid audit report concerns
KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir today clarified that the delay in halal certification for the food service provider awarded the patient meal contract at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) was due to technical issues in the application process, not non-compliance with halal standards. He said the matter should not alarm the public, as it does not suggest the company involved is operating outside halal requirements. 'The issue is not that the company doesn't practise halal procedures, but rather a technical delay in obtaining the certificate. 'The halal certification process in Malaysia applies not to the company as a whole, but to the specific premises,' he said during the debate on the Auditor-General's Report in Parliament today. Zambry explained that once a company is awarded a tender, it is typically given six months to apply for halal certification. However, in this case, the process took more than a year due to administrative setbacks, including delays in appointing a Person in Charge (PIC), which is required for the certification process. 'The company was awarded the tender in 2024, but the PIC was only appointed on April 14, 2025. Without the PIC, the company could not even begin the application process. 'Only after the PIC is in place can the company begin uploading details into the halal system, undergo audits, and proceed with inspections,' he said. This lengthy, sequential process, Zambry said, led to delays that exceeded the stipulated six-month period. He also noted that while the specific premises used for HCTM had yet to be certified, other premises under the same company already held valid halal certification. He added that all food suppliers working with the company were halal-certified. 'This shows that the company does observe halal standards. The issue lies with procedural inefficiencies that we need to correct moving forward,' he said. On Monday, the Auditor-General's Report (LKAN) 2/2025 revealed that HCTM had awarded a three-year catering contract worth RM25.64 million to a company that did not yet possess halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim). According to the report, the company was granted the tender to supply patient meals at HCTM from February 2024 to February 2027. The report also noted that the objective of the tender was to provide halal meals to patients, in line with the hospital's Main Kitchen, which is certified halal by Jakim.
Free Malaysia Today
22-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Halal rules non-negotiable in US tariff talks, says Tengku Zafrul
Investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz stressed that Malaysia won't compromise on trade sovereignty, national interest or key policies in US tariff talks. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Malaysia's halal certification standards are among the non-negotiable issues in ongoing tariff negotiations with Washington, says investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz. He said if the US wanted to have its halal certification recognised, it must comply with the guidelines set by the Islamic development department (Jakim), Berita Harian reported. 'The guidelines we've drawn up reflect lessons from past experiences,' he told the Dewan Rakyat during question time. 'If their halal standards are in line with Jakim's requirements, and the process is consistent with what we accept from other countries, then we can agree (to it), but Jakim must recognise it.' Tengku Zafrul was responding to a question from Syahir Sulaiman (PN-Bachok), who asked about the clear boundaries or 'red lines' Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently said would not be crossed during the negotiations. The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) previously cited Malaysia's halal import rules and Bumiputera equity requirements as barriers leading to the 24% tariff initially imposed on April 2. In its 2025 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, the USTR said Malaysia's halal standards exceeded international norms, requiring dedicated halal-only facilities and involving complex registration processes, which raised costs and delayed exports. Tengku Zafrul also said Malaysia's negotiation approach would be shaped by past experiences, taking into account both local sensitivities and US concerns. He emphasised that the government remains open to fair and constructive dialogue, but certain matters were not up for compromise. 'These include the Bumiputera policy in terms of local ownership and participation in strategic sectors, as well as the preference for local and Bumiputera companies in government procurement. Those are red lines,' he added. Tengku Zafrul reiterated that Malaysia would not yield on matters of trade sovereignty, national interest, or socioeconomic policy, whether in talks with the US or with multinational corporations. 'All of this is to protect Bumiputera interests and ensure balanced national economic development,' he added.
Free Malaysia Today
21-07-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Hospital gave RM25.6mil catering contract to company without halal cert
The 2025 Auditor-General's Report Series 2 found a company without halal certification won a tender to provide meals to patients at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz from February 2024 to February 2027. (Website pic) PETALING JAYA : A government audit has found that Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) awarded a three-year RM25.64 million catering contract to a company that did not possess halal certification from the Islamic development department. The 2025 Auditor-General's Report Series 2 found the company, which was identified as 0267299-T in the audit report, won a tender to provide meals to patients at HCTM from February 2024 to February 2027. The report said the tender was aimed at 'providing halal food to HCTM patients' in accordance with the status of its main kitchen, which had received halal certification from Jakim. The report, which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today, found HCTM's technical evaluation committee did not recommend 0267299-T as it had failed the technical evaluation as it lacked both halal and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) certifications. The committee said the company also failed the technical evaluation as it was inexperienced and did not have enough food servers and trolleys for patients' food. The audit found the technical evaluation committee had evaluated 12 bidders, with the passing mark set at 85% and above. Only two bidders passed the technical assessment, with 0267299-T among the 10 companies that failed after scoring 53%. Despite this, the company was ultimately selected based on meeting the financial evaluation committee's criteria, the audit reported. In response to the audit, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, which oversees HCTM, said the previous company's contract to supply food to patients was about to end and the tender procurement committee agreed to proceed with the tender as the services could not be interrupted. UKM also said that 0267299-T had applied for HACCP certification on Sept 24, 2024, but the audit process could only be carried out after renovation works at HCTM were completed. However, the report did not include UKM's response to 0267299-T's lack of halal certification. Delay in supplying medical equipment HCTM also awarded a separate contract for the provision of medical equipment to a company not recommended by the technical evaluation committee, as its linear accelerator (Linac) machines – used for cancer treatment – failed to meet integration requirements with HCTM's existing systems. As a result, several critical pieces of medical equipment, including the Linac machines, CT simulators (used in radiation therapy) and contrast injectors (used for enhanced imaging), were delayed. These items were scheduled for delivery by Sept 18 last year. At the time of the audit, the Linac machines had still not been delivered, marking a delay of 122 days. 'The delay in the supply of (this equipment) within the stipulated timeframe has affected services at HCTM,' said the audit. 'The delay in starting treatment has had an impact on patient survival, with 20 patients experiencing waiting periods ranging from one to eight weeks.' Earlier today, auditor-general Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi said three UKM tenders worth RM58.45 million were given to companies that were not supported by evaluation committees. Overall, the report found serious problems in how over RM460 million of public money was spent on land deals, university tenders and defence contracts. A total of five audits involving seven ministries were conducted. They covered programmes, activities and projects worth RM48.873 billion. A total of 22 audit recommendations were submitted to the ministries, departments and companies involved.
