KUALA LUMPUR: Pharmaceutical firms from China are looking to manufacture health products in Malaysia and obtain local halal certification for export.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the firms were targeting markets in the Middle East and American markets.
“They hope to obtain halal certification here and produce those health products in our country for export,” he said after meeting a 58-member Chinese business delegation.
Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said the investors found it easier to obtain certification in Malaysia because products from the country were more easily accepted.
“Malaysia’s halal certification has been recognised worldwide for 52 years,” he said.
He said the companies’ products had received regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration but did not have halal certification.
Zahid said the investors were also attracted by Malaysia’s business environment and should consider investing in the country, with assistance from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) to obtain halal certification.
Health technology was one of six sectors targeted by the delegation.
The other sectors were electrical and electronics, semiconductors, specialised industrial materials and precision engineering, the digital economy and technology infrastructure, food processing and halal products, and tourism.
Malaysia has maintained its position as a global leader in the halal economy, ranking first in the Global Islamic Economy Indicator for 12 consecutive years.
The report estimates that global Muslim consumer spending across six sectors — halal food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, modest fashion, Muslim-friendly travel, and media and recreation — reached US$2.6 trillion (RM10.6 trillion) in 2024, up from US$2.4 trillion in 2023. It is projected to reach US$3.56 trillion by 2029.