Muslims urged to manufacture halal products

By A. LETCHUMANAN

MALACCA: The halal products from Malaysia are widely recognised in the world but sadly the number of Muslims involved in manufacturing them were limited.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said it was disappointing that Muslims were only involved in producing 15% of the halal products in the country.

“The Government is taking several measures to increase the involvement of Muslims as it wants the country to be a world halal hub by 2010,” he said while officiating the state-level halal industry seminar here on Saturday.

Mohd Ali said the target was not rhetoric as the market for halal products amongst Muslims has reached 1.6 billion, with 60% of them being Asian citizens.

“We should not stand aside and watch the other races compete for the halal market. We should also strive to produce products which had received the halal certification,” he said.

He said the trade between Malaysia and the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) has increased 9.2% to RM60mil in the first eight months of this year as compared to the same period of last year.

Mohd Ali said Malaysia exported RM33.4mil halal products, registering a 24.5% increase from the RM26.8mil in 2006.

Mohd Ali said the halal certification was not confined to foodstuffs but also consumer items like household goods, cleaning liquids, clothes and perfumes.

He said that Malacca State Development Coporation would be developing a halal hub in a 2ha site in Serkam, with the construction of 34 workshops and 10 shophouses at a cost of RM9.1mil.

“We have also set aside land for those wanting to set up their plants to manufacture the halal products in Serkam,” Mohd Ali said.

He also urged government-linked companies to assist the small entrepreneurs to market halal products in the domestic and international markets.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/17/nation/20071117142914&sec=nation

Posted by Ainuddin Mohamad of MyInfoHQ.net