Brunei Delegation Joins SIHAS

Bandar Seri Begawan
Ten local companies, led by the Ministry of Industry and Primary
Resources, exhibited their products during the Singapore International
Halal Showcase (Sihas) 2008 at Singapore Expo in an effort to penetrate
the lucrative halal food industry.

The Sihas 2008 runs from January 24 to January 27.

To
showcase the Asian halal industry, one of the highlights of the event
is the exhibition booth, which displays over 200 halal products from
China, India, and Middle East and Asean countries, including Brunei.

Singapore
Minister-In-Charge of Muslim Affairs Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, during the
opening ceremony, said Singapore’s halal industry is expanding, with
more than 8,000 halal certificates issued by the Islamic Religious
Council of Singapore (Muis) last year, up from 7,200 in the previous
year.

He
said besides food, the halal certified products have extended to health
supplements, cleansing agents and traditional Chinese medicine.

“Halal
certification not only widens market shares of companies locally, but
also extends their reach to bigger markets overseas.

“An
example is homegrown company Thong Siek Food Industry, which
distributes its halal-certified seafood products not only locally, but
also nine other countries, including Australia, Brunei and South
Africa,” he said. He said with the formal recognition of the Singapore
halal certification granted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2006,
it has been easier for Singapore’s food exports to make their way to
the Middle East.

Head
of Muis Halal Certification Strategic Unit Dewi Suratty attributed the
growth of halal food industry in Singapore to the greater awareness of
the economic potential of the halal market.

Meanwhile,
the Sihas 2008, hosted by the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, is held for the first time in Singapore.