NESTLE TO BOOST INVESTMENT IN HALAL PRODUCTS OPERATION

SHAH ALAM (Malaysia), June 11 (Bernama) -- The growing global opportunities
in halal foods and products has encouraged the Nestle Group to boost its
investment in halal manufacturing and capacity building.

Its executive vice president/zone director for Asia, Oceania, Africa and
Middle East, Frits van Dijk, said this trend would augur well for Nestle
Malaysia as the group continued to expand its workforce.

"Malaysia has long been recognised as Nestle Group's halal centre of
excellence and a leading exporter of halal products which account for more
than 20 percent of its total turnover in this country," he said at the
graduation ceremony of 31 partipants of Nestle Malaysia's executive diploma in
manufacturing management (EDMM) programme here Wednesday.

van Dijk said Nestle employed more than 280,000 people worldwide and
considered human capital development as an important investment.

"At Nestle, the average number of years of service at retirement is 27 years
(in the top 20 countries that employ 80 percent of our people), and we believe
that one of the reasons for the low turnover is that we help people grow in
their personal capabilities," he said.

The EDMM programme, developed jointly by Nestle Malaysia and Open University
of Malaysia (OUM) was launched in 2006 to develop Nestle's production executives
into first-line managers.

The 20-month programme is based on a thoroughly-researched job analysis of
the first-line manager position in Nestle factories, with each topic taught
supporting a performance objective and the goal of delivering specific workplace
competencies.

Nestle group's chief executive officer, Paul Bulcke, presented the EDMM
diplomas to the graduates.

Bulcke is in Malaysia as part of his tour of the Asean region.

Also present was vice chancellor/president of OUM, Professor Dr Anuwar Ali.
-- BERNAMA