Digi business marketing and operations head Steven Soon (second from left) delivering his speech as (from left) Johor South SME Association advisor Teh Kee Sin, RHB Bank Bhd commercial banking head Azlina Safian and PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd chief operating officer P’ng Tean Hau look on duri...
One for the album: (From left) Teh, Soon, Azlina and P’ng posing for photograph after their panel discussion session at the SOBA LAB programme at Trove Hotel in Johor Baru.JOHOR BARU: Digitalisation is the way forward for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and they have to start planning now,...
Unofficial figures show that some 300,000 Malaysians commute daily from Johor to Singapore to work. — FilepicJOHOR BARU: The state government is looking at the positive angle when it comes to the high number of Malaysians, including Johoreans, working in Singapore.Johor education, human resour...
An SME expo showcasing the productsKUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's small business sector experienced positive business conditions in 2018 and confidence in business and economic growth is at its highest point since 2012, according to new survey data released today by CPA Australia. The findings from CPA A...
KUALA LUMPUR: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) should capitalise on the RM517mil funding made available by Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Bhd’s (MIDF) and Malaysian Technology Development Corp (MTDC) under the Soft Loan Scheme for Automation and Modernisation (SLSAM).MIDF group ma...
PETALING JAYA: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng is tabling Budget 2019 in Parliament, the first federal budget by the Pakatan Harapan government.The tabling of the Supply Bill (Budget) 2019 will commence before Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, and will be debated by the Members of Par...
Halal Industry Can Be Lifted To Higher Level - Matrade
Datuk Dzulkifli MahmudKUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian halal industry can be lifted to a higher level based on the positive response received from trade buyers and conference participants at the just concluded World Halal Week 2016.
The event was hosted by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) with the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (Mihas) being part of it.
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dzulkifli Mahmud said Mihas, in its 13th year, is a key part of the country's marketing strategy, and raked in RM1.1 billion in sales in 2015.
the just concluded World Halal Week 2016
He said 531 companies from 29 countries participated in this year's exhibition which included food producers and service providers with sales continued to be encouraging, despite challenges facing the global economy.
"On March 29, a pre-arranged business-matching session, the International Sourcing Programme, involving 391 foreign buyers from 40 countries and over 600 Malaysian-registered companies, registered RM480 million in sales which is an eight per cent increase from the previous year.
"Mihas registered about RM500 million in sales for the first three days of the showcase and the final figure will be known later," he told reporters.
He said the Halal Council, to be headed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, would address wider issues pertaining to the halal industry and take it to a higher level.
"Matrade will also work with various government bodies to increase the number of Malaysian products to be internationally accredited and be export ready," added Dzulkifli.
Earlier, at a conference session, Miti Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the halal industry would continue to be driven by the growing Muslim population and consumer purchasing power.
"Malaysia's export of halal products has been growing steadily by between RM4 billion and RM5 billion annually and Malaysia is also strong in Islamic Finance.
"The nation now needs to see beyond and broadened halal economy ecosystems, like halal logistics and transportation, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and the tourism industry," Mustapa said.
Meanwhile, Shapers Malaysia Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer and Mihas founder Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdullah said, the trend in seeing more non-Muslim majority countries embracing the demand for halal is a testament to the growth in the trade.
"The show is maturing and halal is a global agenda. Mihas is getting better with an increasing number of specially built booths used, compared to normal shell scheme booths.
"More exhibitors are willing to spend on booths that cost them over RM80,000, while 67 per cent of them are repeat exhibitors," he told Bernama.