PUTRAJAYA – The government will seek feedback from stakeholders, including industry players and foreign embassies, to improve the recognition process of halal certification bodies abroad.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri said the government wants to collect input from stakeholders before outlining suitable standard operating procedures for the process.
“This is to strengthen Malaysia’s halal certification, by fine-tuning the recognition process of halal certification bodies abroad,” he said in a virtual media conference today.
Zulkilfli said these procedures will be uploaded onto the government’s halal portal for public comment by stakeholders.
He said to better understand issues related to halal certification, department officials have visited several factories and meat storage warehouses in the country.
“There is positive feedback (from these visits), and they (factories/warehouses) are committed to ensuring that their meat supply is from halal sources.”
Zulkifli also announced that the Malaysian Halal Council will be reactivated, following several discussions with relevant agencies on the meat cartel issue, as well as meetings with meat importers and distributors, earlier this month.
He said upon reactivation, the council will be membered by other ministries, professional bodies and halal experts, who will monitor policies and directives issued by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia on halal matters. – Bernama, January 25, 2021
