Good Coordination Needed In Halal Regulation, Certification

PETALING JAYA (Selangor, Malaysia), Feb 21 (Bernama) -- There is still a need for good coordination among related authorities in the country on halal regulation and certification in order to address the growing gap between authorities and industry players in the halal industry. International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI Aliance) chief executive officer, Darhim Hashim, said a proper mechanism should be in place so that these authorities could work together to address the current issues faced by halal industry players. "There is a need for a good coordination, for example, between the Ministry of Health and Jakim as well as other government agencies, so that they can keep up with the changing trend in the halal industry," he told a media briefing here on Tuesday. The demand for halal products and services are increasing rapidly, driven by growing awareness globally but there are concerns that governments, especially Muslim countries, are not doing enough to cater to this. Darhim said out of 57 Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation members, only 10 governments had halal regulations. To tackle this, one of the initiatives launched by IHI Alliance is training programme to increase the competence of halal auditors among its members. IHI Aliance is hosting the seventh installation of the World Halal Forum 2012 (WHF 2012) from Apr 2-3. Meanwhile, founder-director of WHF, Jumaatun Azmi, said for the first time, the forum would bring together Islamic scholars and industry players to share their perspectives. "For Islamic bodies, it is not easy to cater to the growing demand and need while maintaining Islamic integrity. "The forum will provide a platform where scholars and industry players can share their views and concerns," she said. The forum will also touch on media and entertainment as a medium to approach youth and children as well as looking at ways in approaching poverty eradication. WHF 2012, which will be held at the KL Convention Centre, will focus on cultivating a universal appeal on halal lifestyle. Jumaatun said small- and medium-sized enterpreneurs (SMEs) were encouraged to participate in the forum as there were huge opportunities for them to tap. The organiser is also working on a special deal with SME Corp and some big companies to sponsor local SMEs to participate in the forum. WHF is also offering special discounts for SMEs that are buying passes in bulk. -- BERNAMA Malaysia