By Kazi Mahmood
KUALA LUMPUR: The use of the halal concept can enhance business efficiencies and act as a key ingredient to the successes of local and foreign businessmen, speakers at a World Halal Week conference concurred yesterday.
Liow Ren Jan, founder and CEO of AYS Sdn Bhd and AYS Signature Sdn Bhd, said he was a non-Muslim Malaysian who believed in the halal system since the system was beyond religion.
“Thanks to that belief, I have devised a system using the halal precept at factory level, to ensure that the food is safe for consumption for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.” he said.
RJ, as he is commonly known, said his story of innovative practices started when he was working in the corporate world, adding that is where he was able to learn more about the halal concept.
According to him, halal is a system by itself since it was a guarantee to customers that the company’s products are safe and sure for consumption.
He succeeded in his wish to promote Malaysian-made food on a global scale, and this prompted him to start his own business involving himself in the ready-to-eat frozen food sector.
In order to beat the competition and make the products accessible to customers worldwide, his company went into mass production. Another aspect of his business is that his company uses biodegradable packaging, thus contributing to a greener environment.
On the other hand, the chairman of the Nestlé Halal Committee and manager of Halal Affairs at Nestlé Malaysia Othman Md Yusoff indicated that the need for halal is not a new story at Nestlé Malaysia, a company that started its own halal committee since the 1980s.
Othman added that Nestlé Malaysia already had its experts in halal when he joined the company in 1988, which he said was an incredible achievement for a foreign company in Malaysia.
“In the early 1980s when the notion of halal was not that popular among the public, Nestlé was already looking into the importance of halal in Malaysia. Three decades later, the company is a leading force in the halal industry,” he said.
He added that the success of halal within Nestlé was such that the members of the halal committee also sit in the corporate committee, which is a great leap forward.