Thailand: One-stop centre for halal products



Fuziah (with purple tudung) visiting the Asean Mall with several officials in Pattani, southern Thailand. The mall, with a built-up of 9,600sq m, incorporates the concept of waqf and   commercial, and is scheduled to open in October. — Bernama

Fuziah (with purple tudung) visiting the Asean Mall with several officials in Pattani, southern Thailand. The mall, with a built-up of 9,600sq m, incorporates the concept of waqf and commercial, and is scheduled to open in October. — Bernama

ASEAN Mall in Pattani, southern Thailand, will serve as a one-stop centre for the promotion of halal products from Asean member countries to penetrate the international market.

Costing RM40.29mil (300 million baht), the 9,600-sq m mall, which incorporates the concept of waqf (endowment) and commercial, is expected to commence operations in October this year.

The mall, a Madinah Assalam Pattani project, is a collaboration between Uniti Asia Group, Pattani Holdings and Islamic Cooperative.

It is aimed at advancing the economy in southern Thailand, especially in Pattani.

Uniti Asia Group president Datuk Jamal Mohd Amin said the mall would serve as a platform offering business opportunities to Malaysian and Thai entrepreneurs to market halal products to penetrate the international market.

“Food and other products from Asean countries will be marketed here as it will serve as a one-stop centre for member countries’ signature products, to help both local and Asean entrepreneurs.

“We are in the midst of carrying out networking efforts to attract more entrepreneurs from Asean member countries including Indonesia, the Philippines and Laos to market their products at the mall,” he told reporters in Pattani recently.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Fuziah Salleh said the Malaysia Islamic Economic Development Foundation would play its role in ensuring the success of the mall by bringing in entrepreneurs to market their products.

“This is a good business opportunity for entrepreneurs to penetrate local and international halal markets.

“With the Asean Mall, visitors don’t have to go to different locations to get products from member countries as a majority of them can be found here,” said Fuziah, who earlier witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding in conjunction with the pre-launch of Asean Mall. — Bernama