Use Forum To Learn About Japanese Needs For Halal Food In Olympics - MARA Chairman

KOTA KINABALU (Sabah, Malaysia), Nov 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysian entrepreneurs should capitalise on the presence of the Japanese at the 6th Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) – Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement International (OISCA) Business Forum 2017 (MOIBF 2017) here to learn as much as possible about their requirements and the opportunities in the coming Olympic Games. MARA Chairman, Dr Awang Adek Hussin, said the entrepreneurs' must use the forum held here as a platform to be among the major providers of halal food and products for athletes and visitors in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. "I hope to see the conclusion of many business deals, in addition to business-matching and networking that will take place here," he said when officiating the MOIBF 2017 here Tuesday. He said besides the local entrepreneurs, others would be from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Azerbaijan and Myanmar. Awang Adek said he expected more small and medium enterprises to join the export market of halal food and products because the Japanese businesses would source halal food from exporting countries for the coming Olympic Games. “Malaysia is one of the key players in the global halal food industries. It aims to become a truly global halal hub by 2020 as well as recognised globally as a progressive Islamic country,” he said. The export of halal products from Malaysia last year amounted to US$10.01 billion (RM42 billion), which was considered small compared with the global halal market of US$2.3 trillion (US$1 = RM4.18), he said. "While the demand for halal products in the world seem unlimited for Malaysian exporters, our companies must do their part to step up production to meet the global standards and expectations. “Much more has to be done in terms of improving production capacity, product reliability, product presentation and packaging as well as effective marketing strategy," he said. As for MARA, a Malaysian government agency, he said, efforts were being undertaken to produce world-class entrepreneurs through the setting up of Global Quality Standard based on International Standard for local products. He said the MARA-OISCA relationship and cooperation could be expanded into other entrepreneurship programmes such as the business incubator, business attachment and internship, business start-up consultation businesses and industrial study tour. "I am confident this close cooperation will create entrepreneurs trained and exposed to two great cultures, Japanese and Malaysia, which will render great meaning to our ‘Look East’ Policy, at the same time charting our competitive position in Asia as the fastest-growing economic region in the world," he said. At the event, Awang Adek also witnessed the exchange of memorandums of understanding between four Malaysian companies and their partners from Japan with total business of about US$119.24 million (RM500 million). -- BERNAMA