News From : DagangHalal.com (03 Nov 2010)
Kota Kinabalu: The State and Federal Islamic organisations are working to synchronise the issuance of Halal certificates in Sabah, with only one certificate to be issued in future.
Presently, the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheians) issues Halal certificates to local-based outlets in the State while the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) certifies mostly peninsula-based ones.
Halal Industry Development Corporation Vice President, Miti Nurbaya Zainudin said these efforts are being carried in order to avoid confusion about Halal certification.
“The effort is still in progress E so far, Jakim has obtained about 80 per cent (of support) from the State Islamic body,” she said, adding there are 28 business outlets certified Halal by Jakim in Sabah.
“However, it will take a little bit more time to launch this harmonisation programme,” she said, to reporters after the launching of a seminar entitled “Importance on Industry and Halal Certification Malaysia, Sabah” here, Monday.
Meanwhile, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti), Sabah Office Director, Azman Poji, who launched the event, said consumers are getting more sensitive towards the significance of buying Halal products, and the need to have premises with Halal certificates either by Jakim or Jheians.
Despite the rising need for Halal products and premises, he said, Malaysian entrepreneurs have yet to realise this, with only a handful earning the Halal certification.
“Only 1, 646 companies have obtained the certification by Jakim,” he said, pointing out the government views this as worrying.
Towards this end, he said this did not reflect the government’s call of making Malaysia as a global Halal hub, which has the potential to rake in profits of $2.1 trillion a year.
Meanwhile, QSR Brands Bhd and KFC Holdings (Malaysia) Bhd made payments of zakat (tithe) from Pizza Hut outlets (totalling RM133,617) and KFC outlets in Sabah (RM230,692) at the seminar.
Its Managing Director, Hj Jamaludin Md Ali presented the tithe to State Mufti, Datuk Hj Ahmad Alawi Adnan and witnessed by QSR Brands Bhd and KFC Holdings (Malaysia) Bhd Chairman, Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim
– Daily Express