Malaysia is positioning itself as a global halal industry hub by leveraging its internationally recognised halal certification system and expanding industry collaboration, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said at the Penang International Halal Expo (PIHEX) 2026 on July 25 [1].
Anwar emphasized the importance of a comprehensive halal ecosystem that links certification with industry synergies. "I want to emphasise that we should not focus only on halal certification. Our strength lies not only in certification, but also in creating synergy between certification and industry," he said [1]. He repeated this message at other events, noting that the government has stressed for over two years that the focus should go beyond just exporting halal certificates [2].
Several world leaders have expressed interest in cooperating with Malaysia on halal certification and recognition. Anwar named Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa as having all acknowledged Malaysia's strong halal industry performance and wanting to collaborate [3, 2]. He also mentioned interest from Vietnam, Peru, and Ethiopia for cooperation on halal certification and industry development [2].
Malaysia's halal industry has evolved into a high-value sector that includes a wide range of products and services beyond food [1]. To boost related industries, Anwar announced a RM5 million allocation for the Bumiputera Semiconductor Strategy Programme at PIHEX, aiming to support local semiconductor capabilities integrated with the halal ecosystem [2].
The prime minister called for stronger synergy between halal certification and industrial capabilities to maintain Malaysia's leadership. The RM5 million funding marks an early step toward this goal. Malaysia will continue hosting events like PIHEX to foster greater international collaboration and industry growth [1, 2].
