"Halal Standard Can Help Expand Business Opportunities"

GEORGE TOWN (Penang,Malaysia), June 28 (Bernama) -- The implementation of the MS2400 standard based on the Halalan-Toyyiban Assurance Pipeline System(HTAPS)is an ideal approach towards efforts to provide a product that is safe, pure and nutritious, said Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) Chief Executive Officer, Jamil Bidin. He said implementation of the Malaysian Standard (MS)2400 series can also help do away with concerns of the community over the safety and purity of products during the process of transport, storage and retail. "This standard attests to the principle of maintaining halal integrity throughout the supply chain. It is also aimed at avoiding contamination should a halal product be stored alongside non-halal products," he added. He said this in his keynote address at the seminar on "Opportunities in Halal Logistics and ASEAN Free Trade Alliances (FTAs)" here on Thursday. His speech was read by the HDC Vice-President Dr Malik Musharaf. The one-day seminar was organised by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and the HDC with the theme, "Opportunities in Halal Logistics and ASEAN Free Trade Agreement". Jamil said a lot of business opportunities could also be created through the implementation and use of the MS2400 series standard as a means of halal logistics in the supply chain. However, he added that there was a need to also develop skilled and competent workers to fullfil the needs of companies which provide halal logistics services. "To realise the business opportunities, there is an urgent need to train the talent needed for this dynamic sector, he said. He said Malaysia is committed to becoming a global halal hub, and the first to be established was the Selangor Halal Park in 2003. "To date, we have nine accredited halal parks throughout the country and which have attracted investments worth RM5.8 billion (US$1.81 billion)," he added. On the seminar, Jamil said he hoped the resulting exchange of information and discussions, would drive the economy through the use of a standard that is acceptable in the halal supply chain. "This will enable Malaysian companies to plan strategy and create a meaningful presence in the halal global market," he added, -- BERNAMA