The government plans to make the Halal Industry Development Corporation
professional certification body. Deputy Minister in the Prime
Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim said the
corporation (HDC) is only seven months old but steps are being taken to
develop HDC as pioneer in the local halal industry.
“HDC is not just producing the halal
certification. It is also in charge of industry development, branding
and promotion of the halal goods,” said Mashitah in reply to a
supplementary question by Dr Puad Zarkashi (BN-Batu Pahat).
Puad recommended that HDC serve as a professional certification body
like Sirim, where it monitors, conduct studies and produces halal logos
that cannot be easily duplicated.
Mashitah was earlier replying
to a question from Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) on the rationale behind
placing HDC under the Ministry of Finance.
