KUANTAN, June 30 — The process of obtaining halal certification from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) is not difficult, and takes only two weeks from the date of application if the prescribed standards are met, says Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Fuziah Salleh.
She however said, some entrepreneurs, especially in the small and medium enterprises (SME) industry, may have found it hard to obtain one due to lack of awareness on the application procedure besides being less knowledgeable of or unable to meet Jakim's strict standards.
“JAKIM sets high standards in halal certification because of the concept of ‘halalan toyyiban’ which is not only being ‘halal’ (permissible), but also ‘toyyib’ (good, pure and wholesome). This standard is recognised by 45 countries and 78 agencies around the world, and we cannot lower the standard.
“The process is not difficult, but there are criteria that need to be met and there may be some SMIs that do not know this,” she told reporters after attending the Kuantan Parliamentary Open House Open House here today.
Fuziah was commenting on Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof’s statement yesterday that some SMEs were finding it difficult to obtain halal certification from Jakim despite having long-standing businesses.
She said, for example, there were SMEs that produced fried chips in their home kitchens, while the criteria set by Jakim required them to separate their home and production kitchens.
In this regard, Fuziah said she believed that SME entrepreneurs needed guidance from the relevant parties to be able to meet the Jakim certification standards, which can also add value to their products.
“The task of assisting SMEs does not fall under Jakim, but rather the parties that are directly involved with them can provide the guidance, fundraising opportunities, as well as help with paperwork, packaging and so on,” she said. — Bernama
