PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) will suggest to the Cabinet on
the setting up of a Halal Council of Malaysia to unite matters pertaining to the national halal industry.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the halal industry had a wide scope, and rightly, ministries which were connected in the matter should be placed under one council.
Other than Jakim, the other ministries involved were the Health Ministry, International Trade and Industry Ministry, Agriculture and Agrobased Ministry and Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry, he said.
“We want to have a National Blue Ocean Strategy whereby all ministries sit together and discuss to make decisions on the halal issue and subsequently to implement them,” he said.
Jamil Khir said the council would help to standardise the laws and jurisdiction issues among the ministries in handling the process of issuing halal certificates.
He said this to the media after launching the Transformation and Globalisation of Bumiputra Entrepreneurs In The Halal Industry programme organised by the Malaysian Malay Entrepreneurs and Merchants’ Association (Perdasama) here, today.
Jamil Khir praised the effort of Perdasama in helping the bumiputra entrepreneurs to obtain the halal certificate via the Transformation and Globalisation of Bumiputra Entrepreneurs In The Halal Industry programme, to start next month.
Currently, he said 72% ownership of the halal certificates was monopolised by non-Muslim entrepreneurs and international companies.
Jamil Khir, in the meantime said, the Malaysian Halal Institute Analysis Laboratory in Bandar Enstek, Nilai was expected to be operational in April.
“The laboratory will assist four other panel laboratories in boosting the national image as the main leader in the global halal industry,” he added. — Bernama
