Deputy Minister: More Than Half Of Halal Cert Holders Are Non-Bumiputeras & Foreigners
Bumiputera entities, on the other hand, account for 40% of the total, he said.
Non-Bumiputera entities make up the majority of halal certificate holders in Malaysia, the Dewan Rakyat was told earlier this week
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan revealed that 57% of halal certificate holders are non-Bumiputera, while 3% are foreign-owned.
Bumiputera entities, on the other hand, account for 40% of the total, he said.
"This indicates positive progress. As of 10 November, under the halal premises scheme, a total of 1,926 companies representing 10,814 food premises have received halal certification," he said in response to an additional question by Ampang member of parliament (MP) Rodziah Ismail.
Zulkifli also explained the steps taken by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) to streamline the certification process
Zulkifli said JAKIM has been actively engaging with various institutions and agencies, including business chambers, to facilitate the process of obtaining halal certification.
"This is part of efforts to provide clarity and explanation as we understand that issues often arise due to a lack of awareness or incomplete information.
"Thus, these engagement sessions have been carried out more aggressively, and we are beginning to see positive developments," he said in response to Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kasim.
He also highlighted the economic significance of Malaysia's halal industry, with the export value of the country's halal industry in 2023 reaching RM54 billion.
"Meanwhile, the halal industry's contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached 7.5% in 2023, nearing the target of 8.1% by 2025. By 2030, Malaysia is targeting halal exports worth RM75.2 billion, or 11% of the GDP," he added.
Watch Zulkifli reveal the halal certification numbers in the video below at 1:52:57 mark:
Recently, JAKIM proposed making halal certification mandatory for restaurants and food companies that do not serve pork or alcohol.
However, the proposal became a contentious issue, with PAS saying eateries run by non-Muslims should refrain from serving Muslims.
Read all about the issue here:
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