Malaysia Seeks Closer Cooperation With Indonesia On Muslim-friendly Tourism Standard
JAKARTA, July 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is seeking closer cooperation with Indonesia to harmonise Muslim-friendly tourism standards through its Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition (MFAR) framework, following positive discussions with the country's halal authorities.
Malaysian Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) Director-General Mohammad Faisal Abu Suaib Khan said the head of Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organising Agency (BPJPH), Prof. Haikal Hassan, welcomed the proposal during a meeting here on Friday and would raise the matter with the country’s Tourism Ministry for further discussion.
“We will come again to present the framework in greater detail, including how harmonisation can be implemented,” he told Bernama, adding that Indonesia is a natural partner for closer cooperation as it is home to the world's largest Muslim population, with more than 240 million people.
MFAR is Malaysia's certification framework for the tourism and hospitality sector, covering hotels, tour operators, tour guides and, more recently, spa operators based on recognised Muslim-friendly tourism standards.
Introduced by ITC in 2019, the MFAR framework has since certified more than 400 tourism operators in Malaysia, including hotels, tour operators, tour guides and spa operators, reflecting Malaysia's broader halal ecosystem beyond food certification.
Faisal said that while halal is often associated with food, Muslim-friendly tourism encompasses the wider travel experience, including accommodation, hospitality services and tour offerings designed to meet the needs of Muslim travellers.
He said the framework was developed in collaboration with tourism industry players, academics and hospitality experts to ensure the certification is practical, comprehensive and aligned with industry needs.
“There are not many countries with a proper Muslim-friendly tourism standard, and to our knowledge Malaysia is the only one with a comprehensive certification framework,” he said.
He said Malaysia welcomes opportunities to engage with Indonesia on the MFAR framework and explore areas of collaboration that could contribute to greater consistency and assurance for Muslim travellers and players in the tourism industry.
According to Faisal, Haikal welcomed Malaysia's initiative during the meeting, saying the two neighbouring countries should complement, rather than compete with each other in developing the halal ecosystem.
Thus far, he said, both Russia and Taiwan have signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with ITC on the MFAR framework, reflecting growing international recognition of Malaysia's approach to Muslim-friendly tourism.
He added that ITC is also pursuing similar cooperation with Brunei, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Brunei has expressed interest after receiving a presentation on the framework, while discussions with the Philippines and Sri Lanka are continuing.
“Southeast Asia already possesses many of the strengths Muslim travellers value. Through closer regional collaboration, we can build a connected Muslim-friendly travel ecosystem and position our region as the world's gateway for Muslim-friendly travel,” he said further.
Faisal is in Jakarta to lead ITC's participation in the D-8 Halal Expo Indonesia 2026, which runs until July 12. The agency is promoting Malaysia's Muslim-friendly tourism offerings under the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.
At the expo, ITC is showcasing Malaysian hotels, tour operators and other tourism service providers certified under the MFAR framework as part of efforts to strengthen Malaysia's position as a leading Muslim-friendly tourism destination.
-- BERNAMA
