By Rajvinder Singh – theSundaily
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Abdul Hamidi during the opening ceremony of Halfest Asean 2017 at MEICC, Seri Kembangan on Aug 23, 2017. — Sunpix by Ashraf Shamsul
KUALA LUMPUR: The Halal industry must produce high quality products and commit to marketing them successfully on the international stage, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Abdul Hamidi.
He said halal products are not only meant for Muslims, if they can meet international standards the world is their stage.
“Halal industry players must work with non-Muslims as well because the government has set a very high standard for the halal logo and it meets world standards,” he said.
Zahid praised open minded ulamas who had worked with the halal industry players to develop high quality products that meet international standards.
“These ulamas had worked not only with scientists but also related companies to develop quality products,” he said in his speech before officially launching the Halfest Asean 2017 here today.
He said this fest was not only being held to showcase made-in-Malaysia products and enhance halal-related businesses, but also to share with everyone the opportunities available in the halal industry.
Zahid said the halal industry is a new source of economic development and by tapping into this market, it can become a huge economic advantage for the region.
He pointed out that the number of halal products were limited because only a small number of countries were involved in producing them.
The deputy prime minister said Malaysia is the only country that has a proper ecosystem to help develop the halal industry.
Zahid said the halal market is a huge market as there are an estimated 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, 23% of the world population and by 2030 this is estimated to hit 27%.
He urged all those involved in the industry to work hard and produce renowned quality products to tap into this huge market.
