KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia continues to be a regional sourcing hub not only for halal food and beverages but also for halal ingredients in health and services.
Malaysia External Trade and Development Corporation (Matrade) Director for Food, Biotech and Halal, Trade and Services Promotion Division Mohd Aminuddin Sham Tajudin said there have been signs of growing demand for halal products other than halal food and beverages.
“Among the products that are in demand by foreign companies are medical products like halal gel and capsules as well as franchising opportunities. These are some ideas or products that have attracted interest from foreign companies coming to MIHAS 2013,” he told Bernama in an interview recently.
The 10th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS), to be held on April 3-6, is expected to attract some 350 companies for the incoming buying mission (IBM) with more than 500 representatives from 55 countries.
“The biggest buyers coming for the IBM are from China, followed by South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
“This shows very encouraging response from these coutries looking to specially come and source Malaysian halal products to fulfil demand in the global marketplace,” he said.
Mohd Aminuddin said Matrade has arranged more than 3,500 business matching meetings for more than 400 Malaysian companies from different businesses.
About 340 Malaysian and 178 foreign companies have confirmed their participation at the exhibition. The biggest foreign participation is from Indonesia with 54 companies, followed by Thailand, Taiwan, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan.
“MIHAS is a good avenue for these companies to come and meet with Malaysian companies and take this opportunity to look for new products in the showcase,” he said.
He said there is a lot of participation from foreign companies in the food, processed food and non-food sectors like pharmaceuticals, toiletries and services.
Last year, total sales derived from MIHAS including IBM hit RM782 million.
MIHAS is hosted and organised by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and Matrade.
On the World Halal Week (WHW) conference, Mohd Aminuddin said the focus areas would include catalysing the halal ecosystem through innovation, inspiring innovation in halal science, and halal innovation success stories.
The two-day conference, which starts on April 3, will also touch on finance and investing as well as building bridges for halal, creation of a halal value proposition, healthcare and tourism and making an informed choice on halal network as halal businesses.
The WHW conference provides a unique proposition as a platform for deliberation on issues related to halal participation, halal trade and promotion of products and services, introduction to innovations and technologies, and what’s new in the halal industry.
MIHAS and the WHW conference are components of World Halal Week taking place on April 3-6 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Under the patronage of MITI, the WHW Conference is organised by the Halal Industry Development Corporation in collaboration with IHI Alliance. — BERNAMA
