News From : DagangHalal.com (21 Jun 2010)
KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 (Bernama) — Malaysia is on the right track with suitable policies to make the country a global hub for halal products and services.
Malawi’s National Halal Coordinator of the Halal Department, Saleem Chikwatu said that among all the Muslim countries in the world, Malaysia was in the leading position in efforts not only to develop the halal industry but also Islamic financial sector.
“Malaysia is moving fast to be a halal hub…chances of success is very high,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of the two-day 5th World Halal Forum 2010 opened by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here, on Monday.
He said Malaysia was putting a lot of efforts in areas like halal standards and certification as well as research and development of halal products and services.
In this context, he said his department was also keen to learn from Malaysia, particularly about halal certification and standards.
Saleem said his country’s Halal Department operated under the Muslim Association of Malawi and it was the only halal certification body in that African country.
Commending Malaysia, he said that while many other Muslim countries were seeing mainly to physical developments, Malaysia was giving equal emphasis to other areas of development such as matters related to halal.
Saleem said out of some 15 million population, about six to seven million of the Malawi population were Muslims.
He said the Halal Department had also from time to time cooperated with Jakim on the verification of certified food products from Malaysia such as palm oil, bakery products and other food products.
He said the Malawi Halal Department had so far certified 500 companies in Malawi, ranging from manufacturers to retailers in the food related businesses.
Saleem said he was also pleased to note the commitment shown by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in the development of halal industry in Malaysia, similar to what was showed by Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“This will also benefit global Muslims as a whole,” he added.
— BERNAMA