Malaysia: China Firms Seek Johor's Assistance For Halal Certification

ISKANDAR PUTERI (Johor Bahru, Malaysia), Oct 6 (Bernama) -- Several China-based companies have expressed interest to get Johor’s assistance to help them in applying for Malaysia's halal certification. Johor Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Committee Chairman, Tee Siew Kiong said obtaining halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) would enable these companies to penetrate the global halal market especially in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries. He said Malaysia’s halal certification standard was globally recognised, especially among the 56 OIC member countries. “Hence, these companies can use Malaysia, including Malaysia's southern Johor state, as the platforms to penetrate these markets,” he said to reporters after launching the ‘Iskandar Halal Park Pocket Talk’ in conjunction with the Johor Progressive Expo 2017 here Friday. Tee said the interest shown by these companies was a follow-up from the executive committee’s trade mission to the Xinjiang and Gansu provinces in China in August 2017. The two provinces had a large number of Muslim population and produced a wide range of halal products that could be expanded not only in China but also internationally, he said. Currently, the efforts to help these Chinese companies would be carried out by the state government-linked company, PIJ Holdings Bhd, which was appointed by Jakim to administer the halal certification application in Johor. Earlier in his opening address, Tee said he would like to see more halal product entrepreneurs and traders in the state expand their business to the global halal market which was estimated to be worth US$2.1 billion (US$1=RM4.23). -- BERNAMA