KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 – Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was the recipient of the Special National Halal Development Excellence Award in conjunction with the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2024.
The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) said the inaugural special award was presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Abdullah’s son, Tan Sri Kamaluddin Abdullah, who represented his father at the MIHAS 2024 opening ceremony on Tuesday.
“Tun Abdullah was selected to receive the special award for his role in establishing a robust ecosystem that positioned Malaysia’s halal industry at a level of global quality and trust.
“Today, the halal industry has become one of the fastest-growing sectors, with its global market value projected to reach US$5 trillion by 2030,” it said in a statement.
The halal industry in Malaysia, now 50 years old, began when the government started issuing halal certification letters to manufacturers who met religious requirements, making Malaysia the first country to establish standards related to this. These standards have since become a reference for Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries.
According to the statement, the development of the halal industry was spearheaded by various government agencies, including the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) and the Halal Development Corporation (HDC).
Under Abdullah’s administration, the government introduced various halal-related economic incentives, including MIHAS in 2004 and the establishment of the HDC in 2006.
Starting with a value of RM200 million recorded 20 years ago, MIHAS has grown into the largest halal trade exhibition in the world, generating sales of RM3.2 billion last year.
To date, MIHAS has successfully generated over RM24 billion in sales through the participation of 10,000 exhibitors and 7,000 international buyers.
