PUTRAJAYA, Jan 24 — The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) is leveraging advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, to strengthen the national halal industry while ensuring compliance with Islamic law.

Its director-general, Datuk Sirajuddin Suhaimee, said Jakim plans to develop a high-technology halal industry reference hub, to be known as the International Halal Innovation and Technology Centre, with implementation expected to begin this year.

“The centre will expose the public to the halal industry and the technologies used, including the latest innovations in slaughtering processes and halal food production that are fast, efficient and profitable, without compromising syariah requirements,” he said in a special media interview yesterday.

Sirajuddin noted that the adoption of AI and robotics in the halal industry is inevitable, but must be implemented through a common platform involving industry players, technology experts and religious authorities to ensure aligned understanding.

He said Jakim is also strengthening cooperation with mentoring agencies to help businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), understand halal certification requirements and comply more easily with established standards.

According to Sirajuddin, international interest in Malaysian halal products continues to grow, including from China, Mexico, the Balkan states and Latin America.

However, he said language barriers remain a major challenge in penetrating new markets.

“They do not speak English, and we do not speak their languages, which hampers effective trade negotiations,” he said.

To address this, he said efforts are underway to bridge the gap, including identifying intermediaries to help Malaysian halal products enter new markets such as Eastern Europe and Latin America.

In a related development, Sirajuddin said the government plans to establish the Malaysia International Islamic Faith Academy as a reference centre consolidating Islamic jurisprudence research conducted at local universities.

He said the initiative is crucial to ensure authentic sources are widely accessible and to curb the spread of misinformation and teachings that contradict the Ahl Sunnah Wal Jamaah doctrine.

“Many of these studies are kept in libraries and remain underutilised. We want to bring them forward so they can be referenced by the public and serve as authoritative sources, including for technologies such as AI,” he said. — Bernama