Brunei Halal Product Academy In
Pipeline
By Fadhil Yunus
Bandar Seri
Begawan – To provide a clear and reliable definition on
consumer and food products considered ‘Halal’ in the market today,
Brunei is mulling to set up a Halal Product Academy, which will be
the first of its kind facilitating Syariah scholars and specialists
in Halal science and research.
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Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources to handle the upcoming IHMC. |
According to Dr Haji AbdulHamid,
the setting up of the Halal Product Academy will be discussed in
depth on the second day of the conference.
The conference will feature
high-level speakers and experts from various countries and
established companies in the Halal industry.
In an interview yesterday, Dr Haji
AbdulHamid said that Brunei should uptake, identify and apply the
resources available in the Halal economy.
He acknowledged that while oil and
gas remain the backbone of the country’s economy, the Sultanate is
also keen to diversify and is looking at finding a route through the
Halal market.
One of the main missions of the
event—the International Halal Products Expo — is to increase
awareness of the Halal market and economy while at the same time
expand and diversify the growth of the nation’s economy away from
the dependence on oil and gas.
He highlighted several government
initiatives in this field including ecotourism, Islamic finance and
the Halal industry.
“Brunei should realise its ability
and convert opportunities in the market as its niche role in
standard certification and development of human resources,” he said.
He also said that leadership is not
by size but by how much positivism the country will bring forward to
the market.
“In five years’ time, we will hope
Brunei to be a centre of excellence in Brunei Halal Brand, standard
certification, scientific research and IT applications,” he added.
“As a Malay Islamic monarchy, it
suits the country to improve its Halal economy sector and make it an
identity for its people.
“The food industry is now high-tech
with its application of science and technology. These days, the
manufacturing of food is based on a very industrialised procedure,”
he said.
Overall, the topics during the
conference will cover market analysis, manufacturing and
distribution challenges, brand development, Halal park clusters,
online applications for Halal, Halal tourism and hospitality, Halal
science and the pharmaceutical industry, and the development of ICT
in the Halal sector.
Imarat Consultants specialises on
the content, research, analysis and logistics of the Halal market,
which also include the development of the Halal product process.
