M'SIA SET TO BE WORLD'S FIRST HALAL COLLAGEN HUB

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is set to be the world's first
Halal Collagen Hub with the successful takeover of a listed Australian
biotechnology company specialising in the development and commercialisation of
ovine collagen.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the takeover by a Malaysian
BioNexus company was a significant step forward towards becoming a world Halal
Collagen Hub.

Holista Biotech Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian BioNexus Company, completed the
takeover of Colltech Australia Ltd, which holds a patent to extract ovine
collagen from sheep until 2023.

Ovine Collagen is culturally acceptable and halal-certified.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia's biotechnology sector had within a short span of
time advanced a step forward, thus contributing to the country's growth level.

"We hope to increase contributions of the biotechnology sector to five per
cent of the country's gross domestic product," he told reporters after
witnessing the signing of two agreements.

One agreement is for the joint venture between UEM Land Holdings Bhd and
Malaysian Biotech Corporation Sdn Bhd and the other between Holista-Colltech,
Universiti Sains Malaysia (Science University, Malaysia)and Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia (Technology University, Malaysia).

Muhyiddin said though the percentage was rather high, various measures have
been taken to realise the target especially through planned commercialisation
programmes between 2011 and 2015.

"We have quite strong fundamentals as the basic principles are already in
place in the country. What is important now is to move forward to the
commercialisation phase and financing," he said.

So far, 114 companies have been granted BioNexus status, he said.

"What is needed now is the active participation of the local companies and
the government is prepared to assist them," he said.

Earlier, in his speech, Muhyiddin said a total investment of RM1.4 billion,
(US$0.43 billion)including foreign direct investments, ranging from plant
genomics to animal breeding; nutraceuticals to stem cell engineering; and
bio-remediation to bio-fuels, have been approved.

Despite the relatively short span of four years of industry development,
Malaysian BioNexus companies have demonstrated high value capital growth with a
combined market capitalisation of over RM2.3 billion (US$0.66 billion)for the
three listed BioNexus companies," he said.

In terms of earnings todate, the combined total revenue of BioNexus
companies are in excess of RM400 million (US$114.28 million).
-- BERNAMA