Kuala lumpur: One of Malaysia's main agendas at the ASEAN Summit next month will be the proposal to establish an ASEAN Halal Council, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He emphasized the importance of forming the council due to the significant potential of the halal industry market in the region, which needs development to provide mutual benefits for ASEAN countries in marketing halal products.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zahid stated that the establishment of this council is one of the key agendas at the upcoming ASEAN Summit. He invited Vietnam to send a representative, highlighting the regional halal market's size of approximately 640 million people. He stressed the necessity of developing this vast market before moving to a higher level.
Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as the National Halal Council chairman, made these remarks at a joint press conference with Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister, Tran Hong Ha. He noted Vietnam's willingness to join the ASEAN Halal Council, which is expected to be co-led by Malaysia and Indonesia.
Earlier, Ahmad Zahid and Tran Hong Ha held a meeting to discuss various topics, including the development of both countries' halal industries. Malaysia expressed its willingness to assist Vietnam in developing its halal industry through certification by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) and providing relevant training.
Additionally, Malaysia and Vietnam agreed to explore new collaboration to establish a halal industrial park in Vietnam, complementing existing cooperation between Jakim and four agencies in the country for halal certification purposes. Ahmad Zahid mentioned that cooperation in halal matters could extend beyond food and beverages to include pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, gelatine, and other products.
He noted Vietnam's interest in learning from Malaysia's experience in developing the halal ecosystem, as Jakim has been handling halal certification for the past 51 years. Furthermore, both parties discussed bilateral trade aspects between Malaysia and Vietnam, with Malaysia currently enjoying a positive trade balance. Efforts will be made to ensure Malaysian traders and consumers receive more products from Vietnam, particularly halal products.