"Comedian Afdlin responds to Rafizi's comment, asserting his joke could disparage PKR grassroots' decision"
Unlocking ASEAN's Halal Market: Malaysia's Game Plan
Embrace ASEAN's Massive Potential with Halal ProductsButterworth, May 12 - Seize the opportunity during Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025 to catapult the halal industry, encouraging the expansion of local products into the ASEAN market's 600-million-strong consumer base, suggested Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamid.
In a realm where Indonesia and Thailand's halal goodies dominate the Malaysian shelves, our homegrown halal products remain largely unnoticed in the ASEAN market due to insufficient marketing efforts, as he points out.
"When we gaze upon a 600-million-person market as a promising landscape for our Malaysian halal products, it's high time Matrade stepped up their game to breach neighboring markets more efficiently," Ahmad Zahid revealed.
He made these remarks after the launch of Penang's Halal Industry Development Council, attended by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) Chairman Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
Paving the Way: Proposed ASEAN CollaborationsTo bolster the ASEAN market presence, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the chairman of the Malaysian Halal Industry Development Council, proposed the creation of an ASEAN Halal Council and an ASEAN Halal Forum in September.
The forum serves dual purposes: fostering conversations among industry insiders and establishing partnerships between ASEAN players and potential importers. The Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) will continue to play a pivotal role in showcasing halal products and facilitating these partnerships.
Expanding Halal Gelatin ProductionAnother initiative includes collaborating to ramp up production of halal gelatin, currently limited to a single local producer, for both regional and global markets. Given the lack of adequate halal standards in present gelatin products, this expansion aims to cater to sectors such as medicine, cosmetics, and others, harnessing untapped market potential.
Malaysia's Halal Ecosystem: A PowerhouseMalaysia's halal ecosystem boasts a robust halal certification recognized by 92 foreign halal certification bodies from 48 countries. Kudos to Penang for becoming the first state in Malaysia to establish a Halal Industry Development Council, positioning it at the forefront of Malaysia's leading global halal industry. In 2024, halal exports generated RM61.79 billion, an impressive 15% growth from the previous year, retaining Malaysia's number one position in the Global Islamic Economy Index for ten consecutive years.
Explore the immense potential of the ASEAN market by joining Malaysia in its ambitious journey towards halal industry dominance.
- In the context of Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamid suggests that the Malaysian halal industry should expand its local products into the 600-million-strong ASEAN market, particularly focusing on areas where current Indonesian and Thai products dominate.
- Ahmad Zahid, further proposes the establishment of an ASEAN Halal Council and an ASEAN Halal Forum to bolster the ASEAN market presence, encourage collaborations among industry insiders, and foster partnerships between ASEAN players and potential importers.
- To harness the untapped market potential, Malaysia plans to collaborate in ramping up production of halal gelatin, currently limited to a single local producer, for both regional and global markets, particularly targeting sectors such as medicine, cosmetics, and others where present gelatin products lack adequate halal standards.
