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KOTA KINABALU, Dec. 16 — According to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, a halal hub will be established in the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) to encourage local entrepreneurs to enter the halal market.
He claimed that the 8.09-hectare hub would provide entrepreneurs with on-site facilities, technology, and digital platforms.
“The halal hub will provide guidance to entrepreneurs on the need to obtain halal recognition and MeSTI (Food Safety is Responsibility of the Industry) certification.”
“It will also provide assistance in the processing and marketing of the product,” he said during the Malaysia Halal Tour 2021 (JHM) Sabah closing ceremony, which was read by State Community Development and People’s Welfare Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya.
According to Hajiji, Sabah is a major contributor to the country’s halal economy, a new growth sector with enormous potential.
“A strong halal economy will also be a good sign in attracting more arrivals in the Muslim-friendly tourism sector (MFT), a new segment in Sabah’s tourism sector.”
“The halal tourism industry is expected to grow strongly given Sabah’s strategic location in the Brunei–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), which also opens up many direct investment and border trade opportunities with the development in neighbouring Kalimantan, Indonesia,” he said.
As a result, Hajiji has urged all relevant ministries and agencies, as well as industry players, to increase the international marketability of local halal products.
He added that the state government would continue to support various initiatives aimed at boosting the halal industry, particularly by expanding business opportunities for local small and medium-sized businesses.
“We hope more local companies will venture into the sector because only about 300 companies in Sabah are currently halal-certified even though there are more than 5,000 companies with great potential in the state,” he said. — Bernama
