FIVE HIGH-IMPACT INITIATIVES TO PROPEL MALAYSIA AS GLOBAL HALAL HUB – AHMAD ZAHID

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 (Bernama) -- The government aims to position Malaysia as a Global Halal Hub through the implementation of five high-impact strategic initiatives, including the development of the country’s first Halal-Friendly Port at Kuantan Port.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the project is expected to generate RM15 billion in economic value and create more than 13,000 job opportunities over 15 years.

He said the initiatives were deliberated at a meeting of the Halal Industry Development Council (MPIH) held today, which agreed on concrete measures to comprehensively strengthen the halal industry ecosystem, encompassing logistics, financing, tourism and governance of halal industrial parks.

“The implementation of these initiatives will position Kuantan Port as an integrated East Coast Halal Hub, enhance halal integrity and traceability, and improve logistics chain efficiency.

“This will, in turn, boost Malaysia’s halal competitiveness and exports at the regional and global levels,” he said in a statement after chairing the meeting at Parliament here.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also MPIH chairman, said the meeting also discussed initiatives to improve access to financing for the halal industry under the Malaysia MADANI Budget 2026, particularly to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

He noted that despite the availability of various financing facilities, disbursement to halal MSMEs remains low due to constraints related to physical collateral requirements.

As such, he called for stronger coordination between the federal and state governments and financial institutions, as well as improvements in documentation processes and greater understanding of halal business risk assessments to ensure more inclusive access to financing.

On Islamic tourism, Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia recorded positive momentum with 5.4 million Muslim tourist arrivals and total expenditure of RM19.54 billion in 2024.

He said the meeting agreed that the Muslim-Friendly Assurance Recognition (MFAR) programme by the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) should be aligned with halal certification guidelines for the hospitality sector to enhance compliance and strengthen tourist confidence.

The meeting also discussed the Johor State Halal Development Plan 2030 (PKHNJ 2030), which focuses on developing the state’s halal industry, particularly within the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone.

The plan outlines seven strategic thrusts and 21 key initiatives, including a proposal to establish the Johor Halal Development Corporation (JHDC) as the state’s Halal Facilitation Agency.

“I encourage other states to emulate this proactive approach to ensure balanced halal industry development that aligns with national aspirations,” he said.

In addition, the meeting deliberated strategic initiatives by the Halal Development Corporation (HDC), including a proposal for a new Halal Malaysia (HALMAS) framework to be coordinated through the HALMAS Implementation Committee with targeted support from lead agencies.

Under the framework, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) will lead efforts to promote and attract strategic investments into HALMAS Halal Industrial Parks, while HDC will focus on industry development, certification facilitation and strengthening governance.

At the same time, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will intensify halal export promotion efforts, leveraging the New Incentive Framework (NIF) to enhance industry participation and strengthen the competitiveness of the national halal ecosystem.

Ahmad Zahid said the government is confident in the strong growth prospects of Malaysia’s halal industry, but stressed that success will require integrated commitment from all stakeholders.

“The effective implementation of all five initiatives agreed upon at this meeting is expected to strengthen Malaysia’s position as a global halal hub and reinforce the country’s leadership in the production and certification of halal products and services at the international level,” he said.

-- BERNAMA