MIHAS 2022 Debut with A Twist – Introducing MATRADE Digital Learning Platform

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MIHAS 2022 Debut with A Twist – Introducing Matrade Digital Learning Platform

This year MIHAS 2022 delivered an innovative twist by introducing a new digital learning platform to enhance the participation of Malaysian businesses in the global halal market.

T

he 18th edition of Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS 2022) made its debut from 7 to 10 September 2022 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC). Launched by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob, MIHAS 2022 presented Malaysian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with access to the growing opportunities within the halal market.

Chief Executive O cer of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Datuk Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz said that there has been a signi cant rise in the number of Malaysian exhibitors including MSMEs participating in MIHAS since it was introduced back in 2004.

“This year there was a year-onyear rise of 326.4 per cent of local exhibitors participating in MIHAS 2022,” he said, pointing out that the exhibitors largely comprised local exhibitors from the MSME segment.

Observing the increased participation of relatively younger entrepreneurs, Datuk Mohd Mustafa said that a case in point is the pro le of exhibitors in the Pahang state pavilion, consisting of 15 exhibitors aged below 45 years old.

Datuk Lim Ban Hong, Deputy Minister of International Trade and

Industry (MITI), expressed con dence that these and other programmes that MATRADE has carried out over the years has and will continue to assist more Halal-certi ed Malaysian companies to access the growing global halal markets.

For instance, in the ASEAN region alone, the halal market is estimated to be worth USD900 billion, demonstrating the market share that Malaysian companies can potentially gain as producers of halal products and services. At present, Malaysia has more than 8,000 companies that have been certi ed as halal by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), with only 20 percent from this number carrying out export activities.

Dubbed as the world’s largest halal trade event, MIHAS 2022 sports the theme “‘Diversifying Halal Possibilities” and is on target to achieve RM1.9 billion in sales, thus playing a signi cant role in supporting the 12th Malaysia Plan’s export target by increasing MSME players’ footprint in the international halal market.

In more ways than one, MIHAS 2022 has opened the eyes of MSMEs on the opportunities available in the international halal market, especially with the various programmes organised by MATRADE over the years.

In 2021, despite the pandemic restrictions and lockdowns, MATRADE organised a virtual exhibition, while 2022’s exhibition took a hybrid approach. This enabled cross border trade deals to continue between local and international buyers despite geographical boundaries and time di erences.

MATRADE’s constant use of new innovative methods such as virtual business matchings as well as International Sourcing Programmes (INSP) have helped spur an increase in the number of MSMEs in the global halal market.

In line with the nation’s digitalisation agenda in the trade sphere, the Prime Minister also launched the MATRADE Digital Learning (MDL) a er o ciating MIHAS 2022. MDL is a virtual learning platform dedicated to improve the knowledge and skills of Malaysian companies through the provision of holistic content on export-related topics. The content for MDL was developed partly through collaboration with Google Malaysia and contains 13 highly industry-relevant modules.

MIHAS 2022 was supported by Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC). Thirteen halal clusters were showcased, including food and beverage, services & enablers, cosmetics and personal care, modest fashion, food technology, pharmaceuticals, media and recreation, ecommerce, Islamic nance, Muslim-friendly travel, franchise, education, and MIHAS’s newest cluster to be introduced this year, Islamic arts and cra s.