KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will continue to position halal as a universal economic model and make it part of bilateral discussions between leaders, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said currently, the drivers of growth in the halal industry are micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
“More non-Muslim countries will recognise the necessity of halal-certified products beyond food and hospitality services to incorporate Islamic finance; pharmaceuticals; cosmetics and healthcare.
“So again, I reiterate the point that halal is more than just a label, it is an international symbol of trust.
“To date, we have close to 10,000 companies comprising more than 80% of MSMEs which have been certified by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) based on their compliance and comprehensive Halal standards,” he said.
He said this during his keynote speech at the Global Halal Summit (GHaS) 2025 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) here, Friday (Sept 19).
Anwar said the government will continue to implement various strategic initiatives to strengthen its role and standing in the global market.
He said Jakim is able to approve more halal applications despite higher standards, strict monitoring and yet a faster pace of approval within two weeks compared to six months in the past.
“I must congratulate and thank Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as since he is holding the helm, there is an accelerated pace of approvals and higher standards imposed,” he added.
