"Though it is new for our company to participate in a Halal exhibition, I can say that the experience was fabulous," Qudah

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, August 18 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - As Malaysia organizes its first International Halal Showcase (MIHAS), which opened on August 14, several businessmen taking part in the prestigious event considered it a real success with officials pledging to make Malaysia a hub for halal products industry.

"To me it was a success on all the lines and this halal exhibition must become a permanent feature in Malaysia," Said Dato Kadir, a businessman from Singapore, told IOL Tuesday, August 18.

"The Exhibition is about doing business among Muslims who produces halal food and other halal products and we are satisfied that we came to the exhibition."

He said that it was important to exhibit Halal based industries across the Islamic world in order to make it known to the Muslims that such products exists and that all care has been taken to ensure that these products are edible for Muslims.

Saudi businessman Jafar Al-Qudah agreed the well-organized event was a real success.

"Though it is new for our company to participate in a halal exhibition, I can say that the experience was fabulous. Personally I did not know that there are so many halal products made according to industrial standards," Qudah, who represents the Riyadh-based Salehia Dates company, told IOL.

He said that he wished such an exhibition could be held in Saudi Arabia in order to show Muslims there that there were other countries that give due attention to such products.

"Malaysia has shown with this exhibition that it has standardized the halal food industry and this gives confidence to Muslims, especially Arabs to visit Malaysia," he added.

The five-day MIHAS, which kicked, brought together up to 40,000 local and foreign visitors.

More than 200 Muslim and non-Muslim companies from China, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina, the Philippines, Pakistan and India took part in the world's biggest halal products showcase, Malaysia’s official news agency BERNAMA reported.

They included food, drink, cosmetics and clothes manufacturers and Islamic banking groups.

MIHAS is organized by the Islamic Dakwah Foundation Malaysia (YADIM).

YADIM Chairperson Mohd Nakhaie said that the exhibition serves as a steppingstone for an International Halal Council to streamline the manufacturing standard of halal products worldwide.

Halal Banking 

"To me it was a success on all the lines and this halal exhibition must become a permanent feature in Malaysia," Kadir

Halal banking dealings were also an integral part of the conference. Malaysian Takaful Nasional company is a case in point.

"Basically, we invest in halal counters that is to say we put the money of the investors in our company in counters on the share market that are marked as halal thus are Islamic in nature," Nor Azizah Aziz, the company’s Development Officer, told IOL.

"We are given a certification by the Shari’ah Advisory Council in Malaysia which guarantees us to invest in Islamic counters thus proving to our customers that we are not indulging in non-halal counters," she added.

Halal counters are companies involved in non-illicit businesses such as alcohol and pork distribution or farming as well as other products that are forbidden to Muslims.

She added that in Malaysia non-Muslims too were attracted to the Halal counters and were investing in Islamic Insurance business since they found it more transparent and direct that conventional insurance services.

Halal Hub

Malaysian officials pledged Tuesday to make their country a hub for halal products industry.

"Malaysia’s halal food and halal products producers have to market their products aggressively and put these products on sale in more outlets," Malaysia’s Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Director General Dato Dr Saharan Hj. Anang said during his tour of the exhibition according to Bernama news agency.

He said Malaysian halal products were of excellent quality and could be sold locally in a bid to boost the promotion of their products to visitors to the country.

"Many of the products can be promoted internationally too," he added while speaking to exhibitors at the Malaysia International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC).

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that Malaysia's effort to promote and lead the way towards global halal food industry is another manifestation of Malaysia's commitment to a strong and resilient economic system based on Islamic principle.

"As progressive, moderate and dynamic Islamic country, Malaysia has become an example to Muslims around the world," Malaysia’s BERNAMA news agency quoted him as saying.

Addressing the exhibitors on Monday, August 16, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said halal products are fast gaining worldwide recognition not only because the Muslim nation is growing, but most significantly because halal is being recognized for quality and security assurance.