By Nazli Ibrahim
SHAH ALAM, June 2 — The global halal market is projected to reach RM23.2 trillion by 2030, while in Malaysia the halal market is expected to reach RM526.5 billion within the next seven years.
In Selangor, the four core sectors of the halal industry include food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and personal care. The other two sectors are fashion, medical equipment, and medical tourism.
Unwilling to stand idly by and miss out on the opportunities at hand, the state government has implemented the Selangor Halal Action Plan (Selhap) 2020 – 2030, via the First Selangor Plan (RS-1).
A total of 10 initiatives have been implemented, including the establishment of the Central Information Platform (CIP), Certified Halal Operators (AHO), Halal Selangor Promotion, Halal Selangor Financing, Selangor Halal Economic Zone, and the Small-and-Medium Enterprise (SME) Development Programme in Selangor.
Other initiatives include the Halal Selangor Capacity Development, the Halal Selangor Cooperative, the Selangor Halal Business Hub, and the Halal Raw Material Database.
These recent endeavours are a continuation of the success achieved by the state government under the leadership of Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, to position the state as a global halal hub.
The ground realities are indicative as the achievements of both Malaysia and Selangor in the halal industry are encouraging. As of 2022, a total of RM16 billion in investments have been made in halal parks, including in Selangor, and RM9.5 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida).
The presence of the state’s consumer affairs and halal industry portfolio, headed by state executive councillor Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni, played a pivotal role in Selangor’s successes in the halal industry.
One of the initiatives is the Selangor International Halal Conference (Selhac), which has entered its second year. Its main objective is to provide an excellent platform for the halal industry in the Asean region and in Malaysia, to expand its marketing networks.
The inaugural event on March 2022 recorded up to RM37.73 million in transactions, which exceeded the initial RM20 million target.
Meanwhile, the business matching at Selhac 2023 recorded RM57.4 million in transactions, also surpassing its RM50 million target.
“Previously, the halal industry was under the investment state executive councillor, but we wanted to involve the Selangor Islamic Religious Council and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department as stakeholders.
“We have been invited to international conferences, and recently went to Canada to share experiences regarding halal,” said Mohd Zawawi during a talk show programme organised by Media Selangor on December 2020.
Halal vouchers
During the tabling of the 2023 Selangor Budget on November 25 last year, Amirudin introduced the Baucar Halal programme with a RM1 million allocation.
In addition to assisting the needy, it also promotes halal products. A total of 2,800 low-income residents in 56 state constituencies received halal vouchers worth RM100 each.
The state government has also established a subsidiary, HIS Toyyiba Sdn Bhd, to implement halal-related initiatives.
It participated in the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (Mihas), the Penang International Halal Expo and Conference (Pihec), and the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS).
In addition, HIS Toyyiba also actively participated in expos abroad, such as in Thailand, in Indonesia, and in Australia.
In December 2021 the state government launched the Halal Suri Darul Ehsan initiative, to help housewives and single mothers generate income by producing frozen foods.
A total of 56 participants received assistance in the form of freezer chests from the state government, with a matching grant value of RM2,000.
The participants’ selected products were also given halal certification by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), while the Halal Suri 2.0 initiative, held in June 2022, successfully attracted over 100 participants.
Other efforts include the organisation of the Halal Food Preparation Course (Pelapah), which is aimed at achieving the goal of Selangor Cakna Pengurusan dan Pengendalian Halalan Toyyiban.
In the first series, involving 10 state constituencies, the course was held from May to June 2022.
Due to encouraging response, the second series was conducted in 10 state constituencies involving 150 participants from each area throughout June 2023.
