The Halal Journal - Mar/Apr 2009 by The Halal Journal

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UNIFIED HALAL STANDARD IS IT FINALLY COMING TOGETHER?

HALAL DIETARY STANDARD Does it play a role in future trends? TANJUNG MANIS Special feature on the Halal Park in Sarawak MADAGASCAR A fantasy island of adventure

LIVING: ISLAMIC FASHION: MODESTY GETS FUNKY KRABI: NOT JUST A ROCK CLIMBING PARADISE RESTAURANT REVIEW: KABAB & QAURMA, KL BOOK REVIEW: INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC BANKING & FINANCE

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MARCH+APRIL 2009

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UNIFIED HALAL STANDARD Is it finally coming together?

contents 24} THE 6TH MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL HALAL SHOWCASE (MIHAS) Malaysia opens doors again to Halal trade 26} THE 4TH WORLD HALAL FORUM Fourteen reasons why you should be there 38} LOGISTICS SERIES (PART 3) Halal Compliant Terminal: Facilitating imports & exports 40} HALAL DIETARY STANDARD Does it play a role in future trends? 44} TANJUNG MANIS Special feature on the Halal Park in Sarawak 46} FASTRACK AMERICAS Obama: the change-maker & the dawn of a new era? 48} FASTRACK EUROPE Extending a helping hand to New Muslims 50} FASTRACK ASIA WHF 2009 shakes hands with Intertek Plc. 52} FASTRACK ASIA Halal skincare range specially formulated for the people of the world 54} FASTRACK MIDDLE EAST ICCI’s role in the OIC’s socioeconomic development 58} ISLAMIC FINANCE Takaful: The Spiritual Dimension ©2008 KasehDia Sdn. Bhd. All Rights Reserved

DISCLAIMER : While all care is taken, the publisher accepts no responsibility for the information contained herein which is believed to be reliable. The publisher/ editor takes no responsibility for opinions expressed or implied as they are the writers’ own and do not necessarily reflect that of the publisher or editor who make no warranties governing material, including advertising or features contained within this publication. This publication may not in whole or part, be copied, reproduced or translated without prior written permission of the publisher.

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Ed’s Note IS THE UNIFIED HALAL STANDARD FINALLY COMING TOGETHER?

“MY AIM IS TO FULFIL MY MISSION AS A MUSLIM IN THE FIELD OF HALAL, AND I DO ALL THESE FOR FREE.” Dr. Hani Mansour Al-Mazeedi Kuwait Institute for Scientiﬁc Research

Regulars 08} GLOBAL NEWS A brief insight into events currently shaping the Halal industry around the globe + Calendar of Events + Online Polls 56} COUNTRY IN FOCUS Madagascar: The Fantasy Island of Adventure

Living

That is the question... As demand for Halal grows, so does the Halal industry and we saw this fast growth of the industry at varying levels of its development. Now, creating awareness is but one of the worries of Halal industry experts, Islamic scholars, Islamic organisations and others involved in the development of this industry, as they look into the development of a single unified Halal standard, which is nothing new to most actively following the industry’s progress. This is precisely what the cover of this issue speaks of on p30, and we shall wait until this standard is published; for only then will we know if this effort will finally bear fruit. For those who have been following our Halal logistics series, this issue is where the final chapter is, which deliberates on Halal Compliant Terminal (p38) and how it facilitates the import and export of Halal goods to eliminate risk of contamination, amongst others. This edition also features an article on the role of Halal dietary standards in future trends (p40) by the President of the American Halal Foundation, USA; Mr. Mohammad Mazhar Hussaini, who is also a globally renowned nutritionist and leader in Halal education. What is new with Halal Parks in Malaysia? Read about one Halal Park that drew our attention in this issue: the Tanjung Manis Halal Park (p44), which hopes to eradicate poverty in the native state of Sarawak through Halal. Another growing industry is the Islamic Finance industry, and in the midst of this constantly rapid growth, we see it necessary to remind industry players to remember the spiritual aspects of it, with special focus on takaful on p58. Speaking of spirituality, read about modest dressing turning cool, funky and trendy in the Islamic fashion world on p68. Finally, we simply must bring up the fourth World Halal Forum this 4th – 5th May. As the clock ticks closer to the date, all efforts are concentrated towards ensuring that this fourth instalment would be a lot more informative, meaningful, and offering much more benefit to our esteemed delegates, especially when the Global Halal Standard will be introduced. If you have not signed up as a delegate yet, now is the time to do so; just log on to www. worldhalalforum.orgfor more information, or to register online. We look forward to seeing you in May, Insya Allah!

the Halal Journal team

67} FEATURE COVER Islamic Fashion: A Growing Funky Trend for Modest Dressing 72} JOURNEY Krabi: More than a rock climbing paradise 74} BROWSING Kabab & Qaurma, KL in Restaurant Review; SEVEN8SIX in Music; and Introduction to Islamic Banking & Finance and The Messengers of Mercy Series in Books 76} ON DISPLAY Halal and good stuﬀ found on the shelf 78} SNAPSHOTS Images of recent happenings in the industry 80} PARTING WORDS Dr. Hani Mansour Al-Mazeedi, Kuwait Institute for Scientiﬁc Research

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:: THE HE A R T OF THE HA L A L J OU R N A L :: Halal refers to that which the Creator has made lawful. Its opposite, Haram, refers to what is forbidden. These parameters has been designed for health, safety and benefit of all mankind regardless of age, faith or culture. The realm of the Halal extends beyond the obvious references to food and touches all matters that relate to human life. In the commercial arena, all goods and services, markets, transactions, currencies and other activities come under the judgments of Halal and Haram. These parameters include protecting the environment, humane treatment for animals, ethical investment, the intrinsic value of currencies and fairness in all commercial transactions. We believe that the emerging global Halal market will be one of the great market forces in the coming decades.

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EDITORIAL EDITOR

Hajjah Jumaatun Azmi ju@kasehdia.com

KASEHDIA HALAL GUIDE SERIES Top 3 ‘Best Guide in the World’ for 2004 Gourmand Awards

WRITERS

Ruzanna Muhammad ruzanna@kasehdia.com Zaahira Muhammad zaahira@kasehdia.com

RESEARCHERS

Diana Abdul Molok diana@kasehdia.com Puya B.E. puya@kasehdia.com

“The world’s first series of Halal food restaurant guides.” -Asian Wall Street Journal

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Ir. Marco Tieman Mohammad Mazhar Hussaini, M.S., L.D. Jake Summers Dr. Mohamad Akram Laldin Jaspal Singh Lilyana Aziz

GRAPHICS & DESIGN

De Zyelan Malkovich

SALES, MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION Francisca Turner francisca@kasehdia.com

CORPORATE FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR Hajjah Jumaatun Azmi ju@kasehdia.com

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Over 100 reviews of restaurants, cafes, food courts, bakeries and confectioners Descriptive photographs Index and icons to find the exact place you want Maps for reference

PARTNER EVENTS MIHAS Gulfood 2009 WHF Industry Dialogue Sarawak 2009 The Strategic Rice and Food Security Conference 2009 Islamic Venture Capital & Private Equity Conference 2009 Asia Pacific Islamic Financial Market Conference 2009 Singapore International Halal Showcase 2009 Brunei International Halal Products Expo 2009 THAIFEX – World of Food ASIA 2009 FHM 2009

PERMISSION & REPRINTS The Halal Journal is written and published bimonthly for a worldwide audience. Materials in The Halal Journal may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the publisher. Submitted articles will be published at editors’ discretion. We are unable to publish all articles submitted due to sheer volume received. SUBSCRIPTION & CIRCULATION For subscription and circulation enquiries, address changes and request for back copies, please call +6 03 6203 1025 or fax +6 03 6203 4072 or email us at info@halaljournal.com. Kindly ensure address changes are notified immediately to avoid delays in receiving your copy of the Halal Journal. The Halal Journal is currently in the process of applying for membership of ABC. PRINTER Art Printing Works Sdn Bhd 29, Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia DISTRIBUTOR MPH Distributor Sdn Bhd Ground Floor Warehouse, Bangunan TH No 5, Jalan Bersatu, Sec. 13-4, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

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GlobalNEWS

COMPILED BY ZAAHIRA MUHAMMAD

“We are going to take beef from Brazil immediately depending on how soon the exporters are ready to supply to us.” Anton Apriyantono, Minister of Agriculture, Indonesia

THE INVESTMENT APPROACH TO MARKET ACCESS

INDONESIA

BEEF EXPORTS TO INDONESIA GETS GREEN LIGHT

The government of Indonesia announced on Monday in Jakarta, that the doors are being opened for Brazilian beef after many months of negotiations. Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyantono, said in a press conference “We will expand our sources of supply, which can now be from anywhere; but the most important thing is for the meat to be safe to consume and Halal. We are going to take beef from Brazil immediately depending on how soon the exporters are ready to supply to us.” The minister went on to say, that they are going to introduce a new beef grading system in the country, pricing beef according to the grades. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that the government would cut the price of meat following the global drop in the price of fuel and animal feed. |SOURCE: FARMINGUK.COM, 7 JANUARY 2009 MALAYSIA

SOVEREIGN FUND FOR AUSTRALIAN MEAT TRADING VENTURE

The Kedah Corporation in Malaysia is going into the meat trading business in Australia. The state owned corporation plan to export Halal beef throughout the region of South East Asia, with particular interest in Indonesia. Minister Azizan from the Kedah Corporation said, “The revenue made from the trading operation, will be used to improve the state of Kedah”. Azizan claims to have one client in Indonesia, who wishes to fly 200 tonnes of fresh beef a day from Australia. He also claims that he can easily market 600 tonnes per day. When we asked a well known Australian beef trader if these volumes were viable, he reminded many old hands in the business, of the Rolls Royce syndrome. Whilst indeed the sovereign funds of Asia are very strong, the meat trade is a tough trade for insiders, let alone outsiders. |SOURCE: FARMINGUK.COM, 31 DECEMBER 2008 PHILIPPINES

RP MAY ADOPT FOREIGN HALAL ACCREDITATION PROTOCOLS

The Philippines’ can adopt the Halal certification protocol in order to hasten the development of the country’s Halal industry particularly here in Mindanao, said Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) chair Vicente Lao. He said they can also take a shortcut by adopting certification procedures of Brunei or Malaysia – countries with similar Halal certification protocols. However, it has not been decided which protocol will be adopted. The certification is very important in joining the lucrative USD580 billion Halal food industries worldwide but it is better to outsource certification rather than creating another one since establishing the credibility of the certification procedure takes time. “We can piggyback on accepted protocols,” Lao said. Although currently on-going is the programme of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in sending people to Malaysia for Halal certification training. Lao opined that if the training is completed and the ARMM can establish its own protocols, then it is practical for the country to adopt ARMM’s Halal certification procedures, especially since it is located in a Muslim populated area.

Starting with the end goal in mind (this is harder than you think), what may be a desired end goal may not be feasible for many reasons. Customer and regulatory requirements, as well as access to supply of raw materials and cost of production are easy enough to determine. But what about other factors such as the risk on government to government trade relations, and more importantly (in some cases): how effective your entire supply chain is. If you are looking at supplying to the EU market, then you need to build an EU standards compliant factory in whichever country in the world you are investing in. The other problem that you will face is that your suppliers may also be called into question when looking at traceability: will they be a risk or a viable partner in your business? A viable assessment can only be made after knowing all costs and requirements (which is a competency in itself because regulations change and develop) on the level of investments that is required to gain market access for that product. For manufacturers and brand owners in developing economies, the cost to market access to developed and highly regulated countries may be too high. Therefore, alternative markets need to be identified as an intermediate step. On a purely business case, moving up the value chain is sometimes not viable, and that is where the gap should be addressed by government and development agencies. It comes back to knowing what you want and knowing the price that needs to be paid for such a goal.

|SOURCE: PIA.GOV.PH, 7 JANUARY 2009

THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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GlobalNEWS “If a Malaysian company sets up shop in Senegal, it will do very well because Senegal represents a huge market of 230 million people (comprising a regional grouping of 15 countries) and the majority of them are Muslims,” Abdel Kader Pierre Fall, Senegal ambassador to Malaysia SENEGAL

MALAYSIAN COMPANIES ENCOURAGED TO INVEST IN SENEGAL

Malaysian Halal food companies have been encouraged to invest in Senegal to tap the potential markets in Africa, Europe and the US. Senegal ambassador to Malaysia, Abdel Kader Pierre Fall, said that companies operating in Halal food products in Senegal can easily export their products to other African nations, Europe, the UK and the US. “If a Malaysian company sets up shop in Senegal, it will do very well because Senegal represents a huge market of 230 million people (comprising a regional grouping of 15 countries) and the majority of them are Muslims,” he told reporters on the sideline of the Investment Opportunities in Senegal Forum held here today. Apart from Halal foods, other potential Malaysian exports include cars, electronic goods and machinery. |SOURCE: BERNAMA, 14 JANUARY 2009 PHILIPPINES

HALAL BOARD TO OPEN MANILA OFFICE THIS YEAR

The National Halal Accreditation Board of the Philippines is planning to open an office in Manila this year in a bid to promote the growing Halal export industry. The National Halal Accreditation Board of the Philippines was organised by Mindanao Ulamas or religious scholars in January 2008 to be the sole Islamic authority in the Philippines that would accredit Halal certifiers. The Philippines now has over 50 Halal certifying bodies and individuals. Ustaz Esmael Ebrahim, managing director of the Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board said that the Halal accreditation board wants Filipino exporters to take advantage of the lucrative Halal industry, pointing to industry projections that the market would expand to USD500 billion globally by 2010. “The outlook for Philippine Halal exports this year is positive,” he said, citing requests from countries such as Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. “Abu Dhabi has made orders for eggs. The beginning of shipments is eyed this year, and there have also been requests from Saudi Arabia for chicken and fruits,” said Ustaz Esmael. |SOURCE: BWORLDONLINE.COM, 2 FEBRUARY 2009

MALAYSIA

MAS SERVE INDIAN CUISINE

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) passengers can now enjoy Indian cuisine on flights between Malaysia and India. The new menu is complimentary in all classes of its international medium and longhaul flights. Passengers will get to enjoy dishes like Chettinad chicken, Kerala vegetarian curry, Kodaikaanal mutton, Chettinad cauliflower/mushroom curry, Gongra lamb, Chettinad garlic chicken and vegetable rice briyani. All food is Halal certified, quality food. |SOURCE: THESUNDAILY.COM, 7 JANUARY 2009

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AMERICA

CONNECTICUT INMATE SUES TO GET HALAL MEAT

A Connecticut prison inmate has sued the state, claiming that his religious freedom as a Muslim has been violated by the lack of Halal meat. Ricardo Collins filed the lawsuit in the US District Court on 23rd December, The Hartford Courant reported. “I am an American Muslim and I am being denied Halal meat for the two Islamic feast days,” Collins said in his complaint. “Halal meat for the two feasts have great ‘spiritual meaning’ to the Muslim community all over the world.” The named defendants include Corrections Commissioner Theresa Lantz and other officials, including chaplains at the Corrigan-Radgowski correctional facility in Uncasville. Brian Garnett, a spokesman for the prison system, said that it meets the requirements set down by a court decision that ruled that New Jersey prisons were not required to serve Halal meat, which has been slaughtered according to religious rules. |SOURCE: UPI.COM, 31 DECEMBER 2008

“I am an American Muslim and I am being denied Halal meat for the two Islamic feast days,” Ricardo Collins, Connecticut prisoner UK

TESCO AND ASDA STOCK HALAL MEAT

National Halal Meat Company in Birmingham, have opened new franchises for their product in Tesco and Asda supermarkets. National Halal products, from fresh lamb and mutton to burgers, can be obtained nationwide, from as far south as Slough West of London to Bradford Yorkshire in the north of England. Tesco and Asda are now displaying National Halal products. The Yaqoob family started in the English Halal meat business close on 50 years ago in the old city meat market in Birmingham. Buying sheep from all over England, Scotland and Wales, they were soon slaughtering 8,000 sheep a week for the Pakistani community. Taking over the old Armours slaughterhouse in Bishop Street Birmingham when the meat market closed and re-opened minus the abattoir, they are the oldest and biggest Halal meat wholesalers in the country. |SOURCE: FARMINGUK.COM, 22 JANUARY 2009

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AUSTRALIA

Dale Primary School in Derby is to have only Halal meat on the school menu for certain days of the week. The reason being, that if the meat is not totally Halal, there could be cross contamination with non-Halal meat, especially pork. Dale school arranges its own menu, having opted out of the local council school meals system; the majority of the 550 pupils are of Muslim origin. There are close to three million Muslims living in the United Kingdom, mainly from the Pakistani community that arrived in the UK two generations ago. The Muslim community makes up a large part of the middle class community. Tesco supermarkets now have Halal butchery in some of their stores, franchised to the National Halal Meat Company in Birmingham. |SOURCE: FARMINGUK.COM,

The global expansion of the MLA’s Halal Brand, is an important step towards expanding markets for Australian red meat, according to Ian Ross the Middle East regional manager for the MLA. Ross said, “With 28 per cent of the world’s population being Muslim and with most of them living in countries with growing economies. It is vital that the Australian red meat industry positions itself in the best possible way to supply these important markets.” The world has approximately 1.8 billion Muslims and the market for Halal products exceeds USD500 billion. The major problems in getting Muslim nations to take meat, as opposed to live animals are twofold: one, they prefer fresh meat and secondly mistrust of the Halal slaughter procedures, in countries such as Australia and the South American countries. The Australian MLA brand for certified Halal meat goes a long way towards removing half of the problem. In Argentina, the Council of Mosques organises all the Halal slaughter, through a private company, that provides the service at the meat plants www.halalcatering.com.ar. Palermo Buenos Aires boasts the largest Mosque in the whole of the America’s north and south. |SOURCE: FARMINGUK.COM, 22 JANUARY 2009

HALAL MEAT FOR SCHOOLS

29 JANUARY 2009

THAILAND

BRANDING KEY TO HALAL FOODS: THAILAND NEED TO STRESS MUSLIM LINKS

Branding and the standard of purity of Halal food products are the key challenges to Thailand’s entry into the growing global Halal market. Despite the government’s long-standing efforts to transform the country into one of the world’s leading Halal products exporters, the goal has yet to be accomplished. According to Nordin Abdullah, deputy chairman of the World Halal Forum, the standard of purity of Thai Halal products is always in question because Thailand is not a Muslim country. “Thailand has a large Muslim population and the government and food producers should look at building a Halal brand around this little known fact,” said Nordin. Thailand, with its high potential in developing food products, should tackle the problems at the root and stand ready to take up opportunities. He suggested that for food products, local operators should identify a definite Islamic emphasis and apply it to marketing and branding, especially in the area of packaging. The exporters should also increase their links with overseas trade partners in order to penetrate new markets. Optionally, they could forge ties with producers in major producing countries such as Australia, Brazil and China. “They could import from these countries and then add value to the products and exporting them throughout the world,” Nordin said. Thailand should also join hands with Malaysia to form an integrated Halal supply hub to increase trade activities. With these improvements, Nordin expects to see more foreign investments to produce Halal products in Thailand by making use of the country’s abundant agricultural resources. |SOURCE: BANGKOKPOST.COM, 4 FEBRUARY 2009

MLA HALAL ACCREDITED BRAND

The major problems in getting Muslim nations to take meat, as opposed to live animals are twofold: one, they prefer fresh meat and secondly mistrust of the Halal slaughter procedures, in countries such as Australia and the South American countries. MALAYSIA

SELANGOR GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES ONLY AT HOTELS WITH HALAL LOGO

The Selangor government has issued a directive that only hotels with the Halal logo and certificate by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) or the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) can be used as venues for state government programmes. JAIS director Mohammed Khusrin Munawi, in a statement issued here on Thursday said the reason being that the hotels concerned met the criteria on food preparation for Muslims, as well as cleanliness. He said ten hotels in Selangor had been issued the Halal certificate. The ten hotels are Concorde Hotel, Grand Bluewave Hotel and Intekma Resort and Convention centre in Shah Alam; Singgahsana Hotel, Armada Hotel and Hilton Hotel in Petaling Jaya; Crystal Crown in Pandamaran, Palma Garden IOI Resort in Puchong, Seri Malaysia Hotel in Bagan Lalang and Empress Hotel in Sepang, he added. |SOURCE: BERNAMA, 15 JANUARY 2009

AUSTRALIA

HALAL MEAT PIES

The Halal Meat Certification Authority of Australia Chairman, Hajj Mohamed El-Mouelhy, announced last year the availability of Halal pies in schools, for children, in the western district of Sydney. McDonalds and Kentucky are already catering for the large Muslim communities in that area with Halal burgers and chicken. The schools are now extending the service to meat pies. “The Muslim children wish to identify with the Australian kids eating their Aussie meat pies and this allows them to do so,” according to Hajj Mohamed. The Australian meat pie is minced mutton in gravy, wrapped in pastry and is the most popular snack in the country. Four & Twenty Pies in Australia boast the biggest pie factory in the world. There are 50 Mosques in Western Sydney and it boasts the largest Moslem population in the country. The children from Muslim families make up 30 per cent of the school population. |SOURCE: FARMINGUK.COM, 15 JANUARY 2009 THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009 11

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GlobalNEWS “There was a bit of confusion over what was acceptable and what was not. A lot of grey areas I believe have been sorted out, so I think it is a lot easier for us to produce and there is a lot of Muslims around the world that are interested in Australian beef.”

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Simon Stahl, Managing Director, Mackay

AUSTRALIA

HALAL SLAUGHTER MAN TO BOOST MACKAY BEEF EXPORTS

A special slaughter man has been employed at an abattoir south of Mackay which will allow the company to sell beef to Islamic countries. The Borthwicks Meatworks reopens today with about 150,000 heads of cattle expected to be processed over the season. Managing director Simon Stahl says the slaughter man is Halal accredited and will allow the company to re-enter the lucrative Islamic market. “It was a bit more difficult four or five years ago, particularly [with] some of the protocols,” he said. “There was a bit of confusion over what was acceptable and what was not. A lot of grey areas I believe have been sorted out, so I think it is a lot easier for us to produce and there is a lot of Muslims around the world that are interested in Australian beef.” |SOURCE: ABC.NET.AU, 27 JANUARY 2009

HALAL PIZZA

Domino Pizza, have launched a new Halal meat pizza in Birmingham, where there are close to one million Muslims living. This is the first accredited Halal pizza, by the Halal Food Authority and the product is being launched in two stores initially to be road tested. Abdul Mumtal who operates the franchise of Domino Pizza in Hall Green Birmingham said, “I am delighted to open the UK’s first 100 per cent Halal Domino’s Pizza store, which will serve the needs of our local community.” This comes only months after National Halal Meats of Birmingham opened franchise with Tesco and Asda supermarkets, with a Halal meat sales section. The company has plans to open 37 more with the supermarket giants in 2009. There are close to three million Muslims living in the UK, and the Halal meat industry is today a multi-billion pounds industry. |SOURCE: FARMINGUK.COM, 20 JANUARY 2009

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

FEES FOR HALAL RECOGNITION

While the majority of beef plants in Australia and New Zealand perform Halal slaughter on the total production at their plants, there are many plants around the world that use the butchers from the local council of Mosques. The government of the UAE declared in 2007 that they wish to collect a fee on a worldwide basis, from premises engaged in Halal slaughter. The government is now experiencing difficulties in collecting the fees and will de-register any plant that does not pay, from approval to export to the UAE. The General Secretariat of Municipalities of the UAE made the announcement in Dubai.

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|SOURCE: FARMINGUK.COM, 15 JANUARY 2009

ENGLAND

AWARD FOR HALAL ABATTOIR IN WEST MIDLANDS

The abattoir of Janan Meats, in the West Midlands of England, has been in operation for the last 15 years, buying live sheep and ritually slaughtering them for the Muslim population of England. The company now has the distinction of being the first Halal abattoir in England that practices the Halal method of slaughter, to receive the accreditation of the Red Tractor Scheme, which assures customers that the animals’ welfare and slaughter are done within all the legislation of government and animal rights. The company head Navid Syad, said “Gaining the Red Tractor accreditation is a major element of our business plan. By investing in our business, from the farm through to the abattoir assuring customers we produce the highest quality”. The Red Tractor is an independently assured standard of recognition, recognised by consumers as a badge of quality and integrity. |SOURCE: FARMINGUK.COM, 6 JANUARY 2009

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MALAYSIA

MACOM TO PETITION AGAINST SUPERMARKETS, RETAIL OUTLETS

The Malaysian Association for Community Development Volunteers (MACOM) has launched a signature campaign to urge supermarkets and retail outlets to segregate Halal items from nonHalal ones. Its president, Norizan Sharif said the association hoped to collect at least 20,000 signatures in six months’ time for the online petition to urge the government to force supermarkets and retail outlets to segregate both types of products. He said that MACOM had received complaints from consumers who were not happy with certain supermarkets for offering both types of products in the same section. “The online petition will be handed to the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Mayors and local authorities,” he said in a statement today. He called on the public to join the petition at www. petitiononline.com/macom/petition.html. |SOURCE: BERNAMA, 29 JANUARY 2009

“The online petition will be handed to the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Mayors and local authorities,” he said in a statement today. He called on the public to join the petition at www.petitiononline.com/macom/petition.html. “ Norizan Sharif, MACOM

THAILAND

PANEL TO DEVELOP CROSSBORDER ECONOMY IN DEEP SOUTH

The Commerce Ministry has set up a special committee to develop the southern cross-border economy as part of its bigger plan to boost the national economy. The economy in the five provinces of the Deep South has moved slowly following the unrest in the area. Deputy permanent secretary Srirat Rastapana, as chairman of this special committee, said yesterday that the ministry would inject more of its Bt1 billion supplementary budget into the Deep South provinces. In the current fiscal year, the ministry has a normal budget of only Bt5 million to conduct activities in the area. The budget will be spent over three years on more than 18 projects, focusing on promoting consumer spending and local and Halal products. The ministry will soon organise a trade fair under its “Made in Thailand” campaign in Hat Yai to spur consumer spending in the five provinces of Songkhla, Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Satun. To support local trade, the ministry will allocate more booths - 100 instead of 20 - at each of its international trade fairs for enterprises from the five provinces. |SOURCE: NATIONMULTIMEDIA.COM, 3 FEBRUARY 2009

EUROPE

KENNEDY LAUNCHES ANIMAL SLAUGHTER CONSULTATION

Farming Minister Jane Kennedy has launched a consultation on proposed new rules on the welfare of animals at slaughter. The rules follow an EU proposal and will see measures introduced for all animals including poultry to ensure animals are slaughtered by a method that leads to instant death or death after stunning. She also confirmed exemptions would be available for slaughter in accordance with religious rites, such as for Halal and Kosher meat. She said: “Sending animals to slaughter is an understandably emotive issue. It is important to have good regulations in place to protect animals and defend their welfare throughout their lives. “These proposals will ensure that any animal being killed on farm, in a slaughterhouse, or for disease purposes across Europe will be spared any avoidable pain or distress at the time of slaughter and that British farmers, who are already applying high standards of welfare, are competing on a level playing field.” The regulations will also require slaughterhouses to appoint an individual animal welfare officer as well as apply for certificates of competence for all slaughterers, to be renewed every five years. The consultation is open until 20th April. |SOURCE: FARMERSGUARDIAN.COM, 27 JANUARY 2009

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 1ST – 4TH MARCH 2009 WORLD ISLAMIC ECONOMIC FORUM (WIEF) 2009 Ritz Carlton Pacific Place Jakarta, Indonesia WIEF Foundation Tel: +603 2145 5500 Fax: +603 2145 5504 Website: www.wief.org 10 – 11TH MARCH 2009 ASIA ISLAMIC PROJECT FINANCE 2009 Singapore Avail Corporation Ltd., Tel: +86 21 6229 1717 ext.116 Fax: +86 21 6229 1718 Email: awong@availcorp.com Website: www.availcorp.com 10 – 13TH MARCH 2009 ANUGA FOODTEC 2009 Koelnmesse GmbH Messeplatz 150679 Köln Tel.: +49 221 821-0 Fax: +49 221 821-2574 Email: info@koelnmesse.de Website: www.anugafoodtec.com 19TH MARCH 2009 HALALJOURNAL.COM – OFFICIAL LAUNCH Sime Darby Convention Centre KasehDia Sdn Bhd Tel: +603 6203 1025 Fax: +603 6203 4072 Email: info@kasehdia.com Website: www.worldhalalforum.org 8 – 10TH APRIL 2009 AGRA MIDDLE EAST 2009 Dubai International Exhibition Centre IIR Middle East Tel: +971 4 3365161 Fax: +971 4 3350673 Email: http://www.agramiddleeast.com Website: www.foodshow.co.nz 26TH APRIL – 2ND MAY 2009 AGRISHOW RIBEIRA PRETO Reed Exhibitions Tel.: +55 (11) 3060-4904 E-mail: daniel.nascimento@reedalcantara.com.br Website: www.agrishow.com.br 4 – 5TH MAY 2009 WORLD HALAL FORUM 2009 Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia KasehDia Sdn Bhd Tel: +603 6203 1025 Fax: +603 6203 4072 Email: info@worldhalalforum.org Website: www.worldhalalforum.org 6 – 10TH MAY 2009 MIHAS 2009 MATRADE Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia MIHAS Secretariat Tel: +603 6203 4433 Fax: +603 6203 4422 Email: enquiry@halal.org.my Website: www.halal.com.my 7 – 8TH MAY 2009 WORLD HALAL RESEARCH 2009 Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) Tel: +603 7965 5555 Fax: +603 7965 5500 Email: whr.event@hdcglobal.com Website: whr.hdcglobal.com 8 – 10TH MAY 2009 THE FOOD SHOW 2009 – WELLINGTON Westpac Stadium North Port Events Ltd Tel: +64 9 376 4603 Fax: +64 9 378 7659 Email: monique@foodshow.co.nz Website: www.foodshow.co.nz 13 – 17TH MAY 2009 THAIFEX – WORLD OF FOOD ASIA IMPACT Challenger Bangkok, Thailand Koelnmesse Pte Ltd Tel: +65 6500 6700 Fax: +65 6294 8403 Email: wofasia@koelnmesse.com.sg Website: www.worldoffoodasia.com 20TH – 21ST MAY 2009 2ND INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC VENTURE CAPITAL & PRIVATE EQUITY CONFERENCE Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM) Tel: +603 2031 1010 ext 532 Fax: +603 2078 5250 Email: khairul.sabudin@ibfim.com Website: www.islamicvc.com 28TH – 31ST MAY 2009 EXPERIENCE HALAAL Cape Town International Convention Centre Cape Town, South Africa Cape Malay Consultants CC and Empowered Investments (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 21 696 0190 Fax: +27 86 513 4727

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EVENT: WORLD ISLAMIC ECONOMIC FORUM 2009 DATE: 1 – 4 MARCH 2009 VENUE: THE RITZ CARLTON JAKARTA – PACIFIC PLACE, INDONESIA

STEMMING THE TIDE OF GLOBAL CRISIS At this exigent moment, the global financial and economic crises are drawing testing challenges for business leaders everywhere. The turmoil in the financial sector is also accompanied by the global food price crisis, a crisis that is having a more immediate and direct impact on the global masses. Consumer and business confidence are plunging, while the price of staple foods is escalating and increased growth in demand has overtaken the growth in supply. These factors stir up organisations to craft measured responses to help steer businesses through these troubled times. The 5th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) themed, “Food, Energy and Finance Security: Stemming the Tide of Global Crisis” is a timely gathering to discuss and share ideas on how to strengthen economic solidarity and create business partnerships with country leaders, international business leaders and CEO’s. The Forum is expected to spawn economic inter-dependence for much needed progress amongst Muslim countries. Collaborative efforts must be enhanced in areas such as investment, agriculture, energy, transportation, banking, finance, health and science and technology. The 5th WIEF will address issues in Innovative Solutions to Global Challenges; Beyond Scarcity: Overcoming Global Food Crisis; Paving a Greener World: Creating a Future for Alternative Energy; Global SMEs: Business Beyond Boundaries; and Transforming Mediocrity into International Success. Previously held in Kuala Lumpur, Islamabad and Kuwait, the 5th WIEF this year will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia. The forum will take place in the RitzCarlton Jakarta-Pacific Place from 2-3 March 2009. Leading up to the Forum will be two other events, the WIEF Businesswomen Forum themed “Women Entrepreneurs: The Driving Force Towards A Stronger Future” and the WIEF Young Leaders Forum themed “Charting Our Course: Leading Islamic Business and Finance Forward” which will take place on the eve of the Forum. The WIEF Businesswomen Forum promotes partnership and cooperation among Muslim Women, particularly in business and management. It also aims to provide opportunities from sharing of best practices, ideas and knowledge as well as to promote women’s leadership in Muslim countries, communities and companies. On the other hand, the Young Leaders Forum is a platform to promote interaction, sharing of insights, ideas and experiences as well as business opportunities among global young Muslim entrepreneurs. It also seeks to empower and accord young Muslim leaders with the necessary responsibilities and leadership opportunities to take over the helm of the Muslim world and sustain the development of the Muslim world. There will also be the WIEF Exhibition which showcases primary products, investment and business opportunities in Indonesia and the Post Forum Programme entitled “Indonesia in Focus: Tourism and Investment in Indonesia”.

On the other hand, the Young Leaders Forum is a platform to promote interaction, sharing of insights, ideas and experiences as well as business opportunities among global young Muslim entrepreneurs. Jakarta was chosen to host the event not only because it is the largest Muslim country in the world but also because Indonesia is currently undergoing a transition towards becoming a more modern and efficient economy and is poised to be an attractive investment destination. With Indonesia being the largest Muslim country in the world with a population of 230 million and a land area of 1.9 million kilometres, it plays an essential role in the Muslim world. The Indonesian Gross Domestic Product was US$843.7 billion in terms of purchasing power and US$432.9 billion in terms of official exchange rates in 2007. It has fixed foreign investment of US$57.6 billion and holds US$9 billion of investments in other countries. It has over 3,500 millionaires holding over US$100 million each, of whom, 70 per cent live in Jakarta. Thus, the 5th WIEF is expected to draw more investors to Indonesia. Featuring more than 70 speakers, the Forum is expecting highlevel participation with sessions addressing the global financial crisis, food and energy security, the role of SMEs in development, the prospects of green technology amongst other interesting topics. For example, the Forum with start off with its first plenary session entitled, Beyond Scarcity: Overcoming the Global Food Crisis. Food and

energy prices have hit a record high worldwide. Due to the lack of international cooperation, worldwide markets get tighter and the pain only lasts longer. This will lead to massive reductions in imports and consumption in many low-income, food deficit countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. They will be forced to choose between high-cost energy and high-cost food imports. More often than not, they will choose the former which means millions of people will be malnourished. The session will help address questions such as: What are the immediate steps to remedy the situation? How can the Muslim world collaborate to mitigate the price pressures? Are there investment opportunities in food security for corporations? This makes the 5th WIEF a must attend forum to gain comprehensive knowledge and understanding of changing economies and analyse the evolution of economic and basic needs and wants of Islamic countries. The Forum is a perfect avenue for emerging and established businesses in the Muslim world to pool resources, understand public policies, benefit from the sharing of experiences, and discuss the roles of governments in averting food, energy and financial crises, as well as networking with industry leaders both local and international from various industries.

For further enquiries, please contact: World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation Secretariat Tel: + (603) 2145 5500 Fax: + (603) 2145 5504 E: enquiry@wief.org www.wief.org Or Indonesia Secretariat: Executive Centre for Global Leadership Institute (ECGL) Tel: +622157944738 Fax: +6221.5794.4739 E: secretariat@5thwiefindonesia.com hj www.5thwiefindonesia.com

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EVENT: SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL HALAL SHOWCASE (SIHAS) DATE: 2 – 4 JULY 2009 VENUE: SINGAPORE EXPO HALL 6

ASIAN HALAL SOURCING CONNECTION THROUGH SIHAS 2009 SIHAS once again returns to present an end-to-end solution for Halal products and services all around Asia. Hosted by the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SIHAS is focused in marketing raw material to finished products and services. As Halal is recognised as the symbol for wholesome, healthy, hygienically processed, safe and environmentally-friendly, demand for better quality and wider range of finished Halal products continue to increase. SIHAS, in its second edition, hopes to deliver competitive products with quality and variety. With increasing global Halal opportunity estimated at USD580 billion (estimated to exceed USD1 trillion by 2010 according to the Financial Times), Singapore aims to bring the expertise of production from around Asia. Using Singapore’s position as a transhipment hub and backed by clear policies and stability, SIHAS hopes to also bridge existing gaps in the Halal supply chain. This year, SIHAS introduces specialised areas of focus where events are designed to encourage participation as well as innovation leading to development and growth. Visitors will be treated to a wide range of products from around Asia, and each exhibitor is committed to produce their certification to provide transparency and eliminate doubts. Exhibitors are rigidly selected based

on their production capacity, product existence and their total commitment to engaging with a complete Halal solution. With various tools to assist existing or new businesses, this one stop solution event is for those whose task is to source for quality Halal products. SIHAS continuously demands and searches for new products and innovation, and as demand increases, more options must be made available to reach out to the market. This is necessary because the Halal industry has yet to reach maturity, and there are many segments that have yet to be filled. This is an opportunity for organisations to showcase for their next winning innovation. To be held in conjunction to the exhibition, visitors and exhibitors alike will see several sub-events such as the SIHAS Symposium, SIHAS Trade Exchange, SIHAS Entrepreneurial Roundtable, Modern

Muslim Fashion, and SIHAS Award. SIHAS 2009 will feature five new sub-events that are important to any developing society, such as: • SIHAS ReadyMade • SIHAS Bakery • SIHAS Candies • SIHAS Beauty • SIHAS Logistics With buyers and exhibitors from more than twenty countries from all over Asia congregating under one roof, this is one event that should not be missed by anyone planning to open markets to see a 20 per cent increase in sales. There will be something for everyone at this second edition of SIHAS, especially those looking for safe, healthy and quality products. For more information, log on to www.sihas.com or contact the SIHAS Secretariat at +65 6242 0872 or email to sihas@adexcomm.com. hj

EVENT: THE STRATEGIC RICE AND FOOD SECURITY CONFERENCE (FOSECO) DATE: AUGUST 2009 (TBA) VENUE: SARAWAK CONVENTION CENTRE, KUCHING, SARAWAK, MALAYSIA

THE ISSUE OF GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY As Asia’s population grows the ability of nations and regions to achieve sustainable food security will be stretched to the limit. Food prices have already been rising, while increasing oil prices have led to higher logistics and production costs. “High prices and supply shortages are not going to go away any time soon,” Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said recently. “With populations rising geometrically and with the escalating demand for food, the food crisis is something that cannot be put on the back burner.” The issue of food security will be addressed at The Strategic Rice and Food Security Conference (FOSECO). It is a timely platform that provides a basic understanding of the problem, along with an array of possible solutions. FOSECO aims to outline, identify and provide an optimal base of opportunity for stakeholders to understand and embrace the underlying reasons behind spiralling food costs and the fundamental role it plays in national security.

FOSECO will be covering vital topics such as: • Role of high-tech agriculture and biotechnology • A lack of agricultural land • Role of Sarawak as the rice bowl of Malaysia and Southeast Asia • Food security and trade liberalisation • Regional cooperation and the supply of rice. • The ASEAN Food Security Reserve and the East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve • Eradication of poverty via agro-development • Trade and investment in rice production • Food security in the Muslim World

The conference will culminate in all stakeholders – including policy makers, industry leaders, business communities and the media – having a better understanding of the forces causing the food crisis, the ideal solutions and the opportunities it presents for the rice industry. Through this conference, it is hoped that solutions will be identified for the over one billion people affected by the food crisis. For more information, or to register, log on to www.foodsecurityconference. org or contact the FOSECO Secretariat at +603 6203 1025 or email info@kasehdia.com.

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event highlights EVENT: ASIA PACIFIC ISLAMIC FINANCIAL MARKET CONFERENCE 2009 DATE: OCTOBER 2009 (TBA) VENUE: NIKKO HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

EXPANDING ISLAMIC CAPITAL MARKET IN THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL ENVIRONMENT The Asia Pacific Islamic Financial Market Conference themed – ‘Expanding Islamic Capital Market in the Global Financial Environment’ will be held in October 2009 at Nikko Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Jointly organised by the Malaysian Investment Banking Association (MIBA) and Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM), this conference is targeted to be the leading assembly of ICM players in the Asia Pacific region for discussions on pertinent issues with the objective of raising Islamic Financial Markets to the next level. With the current swing in the markets and threat of global recession looming, the Islamic market has to prove its resilience and sustainability especially when the confidence investors had in financial markets has been eroded by the fall of the sub-prime credit crisis. Major losses in the financial sector and the subsequent volatility and liquidity shocks that continue to affect markets have seen the value of many portfolios damaged and caution seems to lie at the heart of every decision. “Despite the market slowdown, more investments have been focused towards the Asia Pacific region lately – in line

with Malaysia’s initiative as the leader in Islamic finance,” said Dato’ Adnan Alias, IBFIM Chief Executive Officer. This two-day conference is timely and important as regulators and industry experts in the Asia Pacific region will evaluate the effect of the turbulence in the global financial landscape and provide their insights and expertise into how Islamic finance can move forward cohesively. It will examine the damage done to conventional investment banking; assess lessons learnt from this tragedy and re-evaluate industry-wide scale strategies in the wake of the financial disaster. Discussions at this conference will include latest issues on Islamic capital markets such as ‘Developing Muslim Economies Through Modern Islamic Finance’, ‘The State of the

Industry: Market Practice Regionally’, ‘New Emerging Islamic Financial Markets in Asia Pacific’ and ‘Islamic Fund Raising in Asia Pacific’. The second day will see deliberations on ‘How Clients Perceive the Islamic Capital Market’, ‘The Issues and Challenges Faced by Market Participants in Undertaking Islamic Capital Market Business’ and ‘Promoting Consolidation of Shariah Applications Worldwide’. The organisers are looking forward to holding this conference annually and are hoping for more foreign participation in the years to come. For more information, log on to www.apifmc.com or contact the Event Management at +603 2031 1010 ext. 532.

EVENT: WORLD HALAL FORUM INDUSTRY DIALOGUE (WHF-ID) SARAWAK DATE: AUGUST 2009 (TBA) VENUE: SARAWAK CONVENTION CENTRE, KUCHING, SARAWAK, MALAYSIA

INVESTMENT AND HALAL INDUSTRIAL ZONE DEVELOPMENT

The World Halal Forum Industry Dialogues (WHF-ID) are designed to create understanding in different industry sectors and to focus on specific issues faced by industry players, governments and Halal industry stakeholders alike. WHF-ID Sarawak will focus on specific aspects of the Halal industry, including investment and the implementation of the spatial cluster development concept, such as with the Halal industrial zone. A successful development cluster needs comprehensive support, including banking and financial services, together with dedicated industrial or manufacturing infrastructure to support integrated Halal

production throughout the value chain: from farm to fork to finance. The discussions and resolutions reached at the WHF-ID Sarawak will be used as input for further deliberations at the World Halal Forum in 2009. The WHF-ID Sarawak will cover the following key topics: • Cluster or zoning approach – Developing successful clusters to penetrate global Halal markets • Halal industrial zone – Best practices

and service requirements • Preserving Halal integrity • Waqf – A productive asset for the development of the Halal industry • Investment opportunities and structures for Halal industrial zones For more information, or to register, log on to www.worldhalalforum. org or contact the WHF-ID Sarawak Secretariat at +603 6203 1025 or email mailto:info@kasehdia.com.

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event highlights EVENT: ISLAMIC VENTURE CAPITAL & PRIVATE EQUITY CONFERENCE 2009 DATE: 20 – 21 MAY 2009 VENUE: THE RITZ CARLTON JAKARTA – PACIFIC PLACE, INDONESIA

THE 2ND ISLAMIC VENTURE CAPITAL AND PRIVATE EQUITY CONFERENCE The 2nd Islamic Venture Capital and Private Equity Conference (IVCPEC) will be held on 20th – 21st May 2009 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), Malaysia, jointly organised by Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM) and Malaysian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (MVCA). Themed ‘Rooting Islamic Alternative Investments and Strategic Funds: Strengthening Cross Border Partnerships’, the conference will focus on the root of Islamic finance and its important role in socio and economic development of Islamic countries. Given Malaysia’s position as a leader in Islamic finance, Malaysia can play a significant role in developing the Islamic venture capital industry – a vital element in the Islamic value chain of corporate finance that will serve to increase the breadth and variety of Malaysia’s Islamic capital market offerings. The success of the inaugural IVCPEC in May 2008 made it the preferred event for Islamic venture capitalists and equity investors, professionals and service providers seeking updated information and for keeping abreast of international trends and developments that impact the planning, structuring, investing and managing of Islamic alternative investments in this region.

With all development initiatives that have taken place since IVCPEC 2008, industry leaders and worldclass speakers will be presenting their papers at the two-day conference, focusing on the development of the Islamic VC and PE industries, including business trends, and standards and regulation policies. The conference also provides networking opportunities for delegates within this fast-evolving market. CEO of IBFIM Dato’ Adnan Alias said, “Throughout the conference, the main theme - rooting Islamic venture capital, where the system thrives on entrepreneurship - will constantly be highlighted.” “It is therefore essential for players of Islamic investment community to pool their ideas and resources together to constantly innovate the system and its processes to whet the appetite of a bigger

market and ensure its sustainable development,” he added. Dato’ Adnan acknowledged that the timing cannot be better for investment into Islamic finance in emerging markets for the following reasons: Emerging markets are those least affected by the current economic crisis. Whilst debt finance has dried up for almost all other sectors, private equity and venture capital continue to attract attention from institutions Moderated panel discussion sessions will also be held during the conference to encourage the exchange of views, ideas and experiences, which will lead to the formulation of ways to promote and strengthen the commercial applications of Islamic principles in the financial system. For more info, log on to www.islamicvc.com or contact Event Management at hj +603 2031 1010 ext. 532.

EVENT: ASIA ISLAMIC PROJECT FINANCE 2009 DATE: 10 – 11TH MARCH 2009 VENUE: SINGAPORE

THE GROWTH POTENTIAL OF ISLAMIC PROJECT FINANCE With the global credit crunch and the possibility of a global recession, we are now entering a period of real change and uncertainty. Conversely, robust economic conditions in Asia have also generated a sizeable demand for capital investments in infrastructure annually. The growing wealth in the Middle East is also attributed to the rising demand for Shariah-compliant products in Asia. Year 2009 looks likely to be a critical year for Islamic project financing in Asia. Asia Islamic Project Finance 2009 will assemble outstanding speakers from some of the region’s most respected figures representing government, finance and industry to share their insights into the growth potential of Islamic project finance and a best practice guide for using Islamic project finance successfully. It will also provide a comprehensive platform to foster healthy discussions on key pressing issues. Among the topics to be covered throughout the conference are: an overview of the Islamic investment environment; Islamic project finance structures; bridging Islamic and conventional project finance; measures in risk mitigation; Islamic project management; as well as the next wave of opportunities in Islamic project finance. The two-day conference will be a highly interactive event for the participants, speakers and organisers alike.

Participants will be shown real case studies on landmark deals that are stimulating enthusiasm for Islamic project finance. Speakers will share essential experiences of how major industry players are developing products and services to meet the rise in demand for Shariah-compliant deals. There will also be presentations covering the latest mechanisms and the next generation of cutting-edge solutions in the Islamic project finance market; useful sources of Islamic finance for large-scale infrastructure projects; new parameters for Shariahcompliant project finance; regulatory issues facing the Islamic investment industry; and practical experiences in combining Islamic and conventional financing models successfully. Participants will also be able to gain insights on new approaches to risk management and insurance of large-

scale infrastructure projects; credit rating system of Shariah-compliant transactions; and get critical insights into the region’s next wave of Islamic project finance opportunities and analysing the market potential. With major players and experts from the Islamic finance industry attending this conference, participants will be involved in a large networking opportunity. Do not miss the chance of being a part of a world class event that will attract huge participation including international market leaders. Asia Islamic Project Finance 2009 is organised by Legalese by Avail Corporation – a suite of events especially researched and produced for legal, regulatory and financial professionals. For more information, log on to www.availcorp.com or contact +86 21 6229 1717 (Shanghai office) or +65 6324 9749 (Singapore office). hj

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event highlights EVENT: WHF YOUNG LEADERS CONFERENCE 2009 DATE: NOVEMBER 2009 (TBA) VENUE: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

A THINK TANK OF YOUNG LEADERS FOR HALAL DEVELOPMENT

The World Halal Forum (WHF) in its fourth year since its inception in 2006 is now organising the WHF Young Leaders Conference with hopes of gathering new and vibrant ideas and understanding for future development of the Halal industry. To be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in November this year, the conference will be a think tank for the development of tomorrow’s Halal industry with a gathering of successful and knowledgeable young leaders who are experienced in various fields of the industry. Targeting an audience of three to four hundred delegates, the two-day conference will focus on issues and the role of the youth in Halal industry development, entrepreneur development, as well as how to shape the future leaders of the Halal industry, all of which are in line with the WHF Charter. According to Nordin Abdullah, the deputy chairman of the World Halal Forum, “We need to tap on the energy of the younger generation. Because of the size of the World Halal Forum, we need another avenue for these ideas to come to light.” “The reason WHF is developing a young leaders’ programme is because we need to groom the next generation to take on the growing challenges. Also, we noticed that there is a lot of knowledge locked up in the older generations who are actively involved in the Halal industry, and we believe that some of this knowledge needs to be passed on to the younger generations who will inevitably become future leaders of the Halal industry. Additionally, the younger generations have a unique perspective and are in some ways more in touch with the challenges moving forward,” Nordin added.

WE NOTICED THAT THERE IS A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE LOCKED UP IN THE OLDER GENERATIONS WHO ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE HALAL INDUSTRY, AND WE BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THIS KNOWLEDGE NEEDS TO BE PASSED ON TO THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS WHO WILL INEVITABLY BECOME FUTURE LEADERS OF THE HALAL INDUSTRY. This event will be a mix of one main forum and structural workshops that will be divided into parallel sessions. This interactive event will be in a more relaxed environment where the younger participants can be more expressive and get more involved in the development of the global Halal industry without feeling inferior or disrespectful to wiser and knowledgeable champions of the Halal industry. Realising the importance of the voice of the youth or young leaders in future developments, Nordin said, “The experience

gained from this will be translated into what is happening at a global level. We hope to foster good relationships with the leaders of tomorrow, so that the goals of the Halal industry can be met.” Open to both Muslims and nonMuslims, the conference also hope to link the different Muslim groups from within non-Muslim countries, ultimately bridging the gap between the Muslim world and the West through the voice of the youth. The WHF Young Leaders Conference is targeting to receive 300 to 400 delegates where 100 delegates from the OIC countries will be sponsored on nominations basis exclusive of transport and accommodations. “This is to ensure more participation from the OIC nations, especially the less developed member states, to allow the youth to be more in tuned with the developments of the Halal industry,” said Nordin. For more information, log on to www.worldhalalforum.org or contact the WHF Secretariat at +603 6203 1025 or email hj info@worldhalalforum.org.

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event highlights EVENT: 6TH MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL HALAL SHOWCASE DATE: 6 – 10 MAY 2009 VENUE: MATRADE EXHIBITION AND CONVENTION CENTRE (MECC), KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

AN INDUSTRY OVERVIEW FROM MIHAS A diverse community of Muslims spans the globe. Over fifty countries have Muslim-majority populations, while other groups of believers are clustered in minority communities on nearly every continent. Today, Muslims has become the second largest religion in the world with a total population numbering approximately 1.8 billion. It is projected that in the year 2025, Muslims will represent almost 30 per cent of the world’s population – a population that places great importance on the concept of Halal in their daily lives. It is increasingly evident today that the global market for Halal goods and services is emerging as a powerful market force valued at USD1.323 trillion in global food value. However, with concerns on the recently economic downturn, a drop in import and export businesses that inherently lead to consumers saving than spending, the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) talks about how these changes in the market affect the players of the Halal industry. THE EFFECT OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN AND VOLATILE MARKET In the middle of the year, the heat of this crisis was felt and grew intense in late September. In effect, it certainly left a shock to all businesses and no one will be spared from this element of turmoil. However, it is reasonable to say that this cyclical turndown should already be expected since we all know the economy works in a cycle. During this time of obscurity, businesses in the food and beverage industry would not be severely affected as compared to other markets. This is solely due to the fact that people will still consume and spend on food regardless of economic problems. An example of this is evident during the 1997 Asian financial crisis; whereby the decline in GDP growth is reported much less in agriculture and food sector as compared to the other sectors such as oil and gas, manufacturing, electronics and others. The increasing number of convergence, demanding for Halal product and services will also greatly benefit Halal players. The Halal market is growing rapidly that Halal is fast becoming a recognisable market force and there is a shortage in its supply. In short, the Halal market is underserved. Therefore, we are confident that regardless the fluctuation in the World Market, this lucrative market is here to stay. THE HALAL MARKET AND MIHAS 2009 Today’s businesses is facing an immense challenge to surmount the declining number of investment and production since tighter credits and falling capital in countries will force a sharp adjustment in consumer spending. MIHAS aims at developing awareness through promoting Halal products and services to markets such as Japan, China, India and South America. It is the Malaysian government’s hope that this strategy will help tip the scale back which was heavily focused on the major importing countries such as Europe and the United States. In conjunction with MIHAS 2009, the organiser of MIHAS

OTHER SEMINARS WILL ALSO BE CONDUCTED DURING MIHAS 2009, WHERE HALAL ENTHUSIASTS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD WOULD BE ABLE TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION AMONGST KEY PLAYERS.

– the Malaysian External Trade and Development Corporation (MATRADE) – will be conducting a two-day business matching programme. MATRADE aims to attract more trade buyers to ease sourcing of quality Halal products and services. MATRADE is also targeting to improve their sales record worth USD701.5 million last year, which was derived solely from the business matching programme. Apart from that, other seminars will also be conducted during MIHAS 2009, where Halal enthusiasts from all around the world would be able to exchange information amongst key players and will be updated on the latest change in trends within the Halal industry. HOW HALAL CERTIFICATION WILL INFLUENCE THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY Recently it has been reported that there is a great convergence of interest in the food and beverage industry. More and more nonMuslim consumers showed positive response towards Halal products for its taste and hygienic quality. This interest amongst the non-Muslims is growing fast that as their disposable income increases their taste also changes. Consequently, this boosts the demand for Halal products and services within a short period of time. Although the global recession is around the corner, demands in the food and beverage market will not be severely affected. As a matter of fact, because the demand is so high, prices for food appreciated in the last few years due to shortages. With the Halal logo imprinted on its packaging, the value for this scarce resource also increased. Because the needs of Halal consumers are becoming the

focus of the general market, Halal has become a recognisable market force in the food and beverage industry. HOW HALAL TRENDS WILL STEER BUSINESSES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA Most South East Asian countries are agriculture-based countries producing resources for the food and beverage industry. During this economic uncertainty, these food and beverage producing countries have a much better prospect as compared to other industries such as the manufacturing industry. Demand for food and beverage will never drop drastically based on the logic that food is a necessity for human survival, therefore, they will never stop spending on food, and there will always be demand for it. There are currently approximately 225 million Muslims that make up one fifth of the world’s Muslim population who lives in the ten countries in South East Asia. In our view, the Halal trend is an inevitable market force. The Halal market offers opportunities that will open more doors within the South East Asian region and beyond. This is mainly because it is no secret that everybody wants to be associated with Halal and that the Halal sector is an underserved market hj with strong purchasing power. The sixth edition of MIHAS will take place from 6 - 10 May 2009 at MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For more information about MIHAS’s advantages for your business, please contact the MIHAS SECRETARIAT at +603 6203 4433 or fax to +603 6203 4422. Alternatively, send an email to enquiry@halal.org. my or log on to www.halal.com.my.

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TH GROUP OF COMPANIES TH PLANTATIONS BERHAD TH TRAVEL & SERVICES SDN BHD

LEMBAGA TABUNG HAJI

201 JALAN TUN RAZAK, PETI SURAT 11025, 50732 KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA T+603 2054 2000 F: +603 2161 4450 E: TH-INFO@LTH.GOV.MY WWW.TABUNGHAJI.GOV.MY

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event highlights EVENT: THE 4TH WORLD HALAL FORUM 2009 DATE: 4-5 MAY 2009 VENUE: KUALA LUMPUR CONVENTION CENTRE, MALAYSIA

WHF 2009 WHY YOU SHOULD BE THERE THIS YEAR... The fourth World Halal Forum (WHF) – themed “Achieving Global Halal Integrity” – is scheduled to be held from 4th to 5th May 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, situated in the heart of the city. The Halal Journal lists down 14 reasons why you should attend WHF 2009:

The World Halal Forum is an avenue to strategise developments in the area of Halal standards, quality assurance, and integrity that will be downloaded from one year’s fullfledged progress of the Halal agenda. It is like the global Halal dock, and if you are not there, you will miss the boat.

It is the place to be for those who want to reap knowledge on Halal and the industry because of the number of qualified

and experienced experts that will be gathered here.

Experience the new format of WHF in its fourth edition. The first session after the opening ceremony, is called the Industry Leaders Panel Discussion, which will see the panel of major industry stakeholders develop the direction of the forum. This first session will be an interactive session, where key issues and concerns in the industry will quickly be brought to light, and will be addressed in greater detail throughout the forum’s sessions.

“We realised that most questions asked during the Q&A sessions at the close of the first session of the WHF since the last three years does not reflect the presentations of that session. It seemed that many participants had just been waiting to bring their questions forth to an audience of experts, regardless its relevance to the current session. Therefore, this year we have decided to have the Industry Leaders Panel Discussion session, to address major issues and concerns from the participants; allowing the interactive component of the forum to start from

the very beginning. Only then will we get through the details of issues and concerns during the parallel sessions,” says the WHF deputy chairman, Nordin Abdullah.

More sessions to choose from, because topics to be discussed this year are split into two parallel streams: the main stream will continue to focus on the business of Halal; and the second stream will cover Standards, where delegates will be introduced the Global Halal Standard – expected to be a unified standard

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event highlights

OIC member states; and finally, get to know the latest development and cutting edge technologies in the Halal industry. “We will have a strong representation of the different Shariah bodies as well as different certification agencies. WHF is a platform for all and everybody involved in the Halal industry regardless of nationalities, madhabs, or even whether or not you’re Muslim to begin with. It will be open to all so that it can be an effective arena for the exchange of ideas and resolution of issues.” – Nordin Abdullah, WHF Deputy Chairman

for all developed by the IHI Alliance having been mandated by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) through the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI).

Understand the business of Halal. The main stream will address the gaps and opportunities being wasted in many different areas; look into the issues and concerns of some parallel industries to Halal such as Kosher, Organic, FairTrade and non-GMO, and learn how Halal will interact with them; discover food security issues in the OIC, challenges faced by different OIC nations and what role will development of the Halal industry have on food security in this region as well as the impact of the Global Halal Standards when implemented on the

Learn all there is to know about the Global Halal Standard and its ten modules. This will be the first time such development of a Halal standard is done on a global scale with the involvement of hundreds and thousands of people including leading industry and Shariah experts, consumer organisations, standards development bodies, and certification bodies.

Network with major captains of the Halal industry since the last four years, who will indeed be represented, and many of these organisations will adopt the Global Halal Standards. This will have a direct impact on their suppliers and the entire supply chain. Because of this, for the first time in history, we will be able to achieve Halal integrity in other parts of the Halal supply chain apart from the abattoirs. WHF 2009 is also expecting more delegates (increased double in numbers from last year’s); therefore it will be the best opportunity to network with other industry players.

Increased involvement from the Middle East including several delegations from the Middle East as well as different sponsors.

Language options. Last year, one of the delegates mentioned that the WHF, in order to be truly global need to accommodate to the world’s major languages, especially Arabic. This year, WHF will have simultaneous translation into French, Arabic, Mandarin, and of course English.

flying in for the week. Especially this year, there will the World Halal Forum, MIHAS and the World Halal Research within the same week. To assist delegates with hotel bookings, we have a special package with Traders Hotel, which is attached to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre where WHF 2009 will be held. Contact the WHF 2009 official travel agent, Indalucia Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd at +603 9287 9688.

10 13 Witness a possible handover of the Halal agenda. “Because of the change of the Malaysian Prime Minister, we are looking at possibly planning a handover of the Halal agenda, from Dato’ Seri Abdullah Hj. Ahmad Badawi to Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak, because Halal is an important agenda for Malaysia, and it was drafted as the industrial master plan to take Malaysia to its developed nation status in year 2020, as envisaged by Tun Dr. Mahathir.” – Nordin Abdullah, WHF Deputy Chairman

.Experience a world-class venue. To be staged at the magnificent Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre with the iconic PETRONAS Twin Towers as a backdrop, WHF 2009 will also have a world class convention centre for a venue – specifically designed to host regional and international conventions, trade shows, and public exhibitions. This in itself is a real value-for-money deal.

Hassle-free accommodations booking. It is important to book accommodations early, because it is the Halal week in Kuala Lumpur, and many hotels will be fully-booked because of the number of international participants

A touch of class... Unwind at the WHF 2009 Gala Dinner, which will be held on 4th May after a long first day of the forum. To be announced at the Gala Dinner are winners of the eight categories of The Halal Journal Awards 2009 to celebrate and honour success, innovation and hard work within the global Halal market.

Value-for-money deal. The upcoming World Halal Forum (WHF) 2009 in May is actually a sound investment, considering the priceless future returns to your organisation by being a part of a pioneer group that charts the course of the global Halal industry over the next decade. An early bird rate of RM 1,600 is available for delegates until 15th March 2009. The offer also extends to returning delegates from WHF 2008. Normal price is RM 1,800 per person; and a group rate for more than 10 delegates is priced at RM1,200 per person. WHF 2009 will change the face of the Halal industry. Be in the know. Be at the World Halal Forum 2009. For more information on attending the World Halal Forum, log on to www. worldhalalforum.org, or call the WHF Secretariat at +603 6203 1025. hj Book your seat now!

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news+update

IHI ALLIANCE TAKES HALAL STANDARDS ACROSS THE GLOBE Azudin Khalid @ Dino, IHI Alliance Halal Standards and Systems Manager, presenting at the BIMP-EAGA Seminar in Jakarta

Darhim Hashim presenting the Halal Standards Module at the Halal World Expo Forum in Abu Dhabi

Logistics Module Meeting at Port Rotterdam

n the pursuit of developing the Global Halal Standards, the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI Alliance) has strived to establish its presence in the industry, collaborating with many major and important industry players across the globe. The importance of this standard being adopted globally cannot be stressed strongly enough, so as to uphold the integrity of Halal first and foremost. IHI Alliance participated in the 13th Gulf Food, Hotel and Equipment Exhibition and Salon Culinaire held in Dubai International Convention Centre on 24th to 27th February 2008. Being the strategic platform for manufacturers, distributors and suppliers form around the world to conduct business face to face, IHI Alliance had the opportunity to interact with its niche market. IHI Alliance also took part in the 3rd Brunei International Halal Products Expo (IHPE)

Darhim Hashim promoting the Halal Standards Module during the Halal World Expo in Abu Dhabi

which was held at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei on 16th to 17th August 2008, where IHI Alliance was given a booth to promote Halal standards development and create public awareness.. Apart from getting involved in the international events and meetings such as the 24th session of COMCEC held in Istanbul, Turkey from 20th to 24th October 2008 where IHI Alliance has also made its presence felt, IHI Alliance also exerted its initiatives for the betterment of the industry by working in partnership with other industry players. Currently, it has initiated collaboration with Intertek - the leading provider of quality and safety solutions and the largest auditing and testing company in the world. With over 1,000 laboratories and offices all over the world, Intertek works alongside IHI Alliance to ensure that integrity is maintained by providing the best of its

expertise in auditing and inspection, testing, quality assurance and certification. Thus far, IHI Alliance has participated in many international events to promote the Global Halal Standard to ensure that the entire Halal value chain is protected. The events and seminars below made a substantive contribution to the development of the Halal standards: • The Netherlands – Your European Partner in your International Business held at Mandarin Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 3rd November 2008 • Halal World Expo held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on 11th to 13th November 2008 • IMT-GT International Halal Science Symposium held at IPB Convention Centre, Bogor, Indonesia on 2nd December 2008

• Agri-Food Safety and Standards Seminar held at Concorde Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 15th January 2009 • BIMP-EAGA Seminar Workshop on Value Chains and Quality Infrastructure held at Ambhara Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia on the 19th and 20th January 2009 • Port’s Seminar held at Shangri La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 21st January 2009 “HALAL IN THE BOX” TRAINING PROGRAMME In order to harmonise Halal certification globally, IHI Alliance is taking the initiative to ensure all certification bodies follow strict standards and procedures. At present there are 122 active Certifying Bodies for Halal products. These certifying bodies consist of Government or part Government bodies, nongovernmental organisations, local mosques or Islamic societies. There are even countries without any

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news+update Thus far, IHI Alliance has participated in many international events to promote the Global Halal Standard to ensure that the entire Halal value chain is protected. IHI Alliance’s Chairman, also the President of ICCI, His Excellency Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel as a panellist at the COMCEC meeting in Istanbul

Event Profile: The WIEF is a global conference that acts as an international business platform where the business sectors of the Muslim world meet, for business opportunities and together with the government leaders, act as a hub where policy proposals on economic development can be formulated. 7TH-8TH MARCH 2009 AAHAR 2009, NEW DELHI Event Profile: The AAHAR seeks to offer a platform for facilitating growth and modernization in the processed food and hospitability sector. More than 240 Indian and foreign exhibitors and about 25,000 business visitors all around the world participate in this event.

Darhim Hashim, CEO of IHI Alliance (second from left) at the COMCEC meeting in Istanbul

11TH-13TH MARCH 2009 VIV ASIA 2009, BANGKOK Event Profile: VIV Asia is an International Trade Fair for Intensive Animal Production.

certifying bodies to monitor and ensure the Halal status of the product. Due to the difference in schools of thought or Madhabs and political backgrounds, there are different methods and interpretations of the Shariah being used resulting in doubts in some of the certified Halal products. IHI Alliance offers a training programme called “Halal in the Box”. The focus of this training is to ensure each country (regardless if it is a Muslim or non-Muslim populated country) shall have at least one accredited certifying body in ensuring Halal certification; thus preserving Halal integrity. The tagline for this training is “Development of Human Capital for Ensuring Integrity”. This training will enable countries to set-up a Certifying Body for domestic certification. As IHI Alliance is also harmonising Halal standards globally, the same certifying body may use the standards as a reference during the certification process.

EVENT PARTICIPATION OF IHI ALLIANCE AROUND THE GLOBE 3RD-6TH FEBRUARY 2009 CIES FOOD SAFETY CONFERENCE, BARCELONA Event Profile: The CIES International Food Safety Conference is an annual event that brings together over 600 food safety specialists from over 50 countries around the world to discuss and debate the food safety in the company. 23RD -26TH FEBRUARY 2009 GULFOOD 2009 – THE 14TH GULF FOOD, HOTEL AND EQUIPMENT EXHIBITION AND SALON CULINAIRE, DUBAI Event Profile: Gulfood is the region’s largest and most important industry event of the year and a strategic platform for buyers and sellers to conduct direct business face to face. The exhibition is a showcase for manufacturers, distributors and suppliers from around the world, representing all the key factors within the food and hospitality trade. 1ST-4TH MARCH 2009 5TH WORLD ISLAMIC ECONOMIC FORUM, JAKARTA

25 MARCH, 2009 – 26 MARCH, 2009 ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE HALAL STANDARDS MEETING, JEDDAH 2ND-3RD APRIL 2009 (TBC) SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL HALAL SHOWCASE Event Profile: Themed as “Asian Halal Sourcing Connection”, SIHAS is a platform for safe, healthy and quality choices. The event is hosted by Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 25TH-26TH APRIL 2009 INTERNATIONAL HALAL FOOD CONFERENCE 2009, TURKEY Event Profile: The 2nd International Halal Food Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, themed “Halal Certification in Global Trade”. The conference is organised by Association for Inspection and Certification of Food (GIMDES). 6TH-8TH MAY 2009 MALAYSIAN INTERNATIONAL HALAL SHOWCASE Event Profile: The world’s largest Halal trade fair and Malaysia’s largest food and beverage exhibition, it is held annually and is the largest annual gathering of Halal industry

players and entrepreneurs. It assists greatly in the efforts to ease the sourcing and selling of global quality Halal products. 14TH-15TH MAY 2009 WORLD HALAL RESEARCH 2009, MALAYSIA Event Profile: Organised by Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC), it is an international conference in Halal science. 4TH-5TH MAY 2009 WORLD HALAL FORUM, MALAYSIA Event Profile: Themed “Achieving Global Halal Integrity”, the 4th World Halal Forum is expected to draw 2,500 delegates this year. It is a platform for deliberations between industry players and stakeholders in the Halal market, to set directions of the Halal industry. 22ND-24TH JULY 2009 INTERNATIONAL HALAL IRIS EXHIBITION, AMMAN, JORDAN Event Profile: International Halal Show 13TH-15TH AUGUST 2009 HALALISTEXPO 2009, ISTANBUL, TURKEY Event Profile: New gateway between Asia and Middle East for the national and international exhibitors of Halal industry to participate and enter new potential markets. 17TH-19TH AUGUST 2009 BRUNEI INTERNATIONAL HALAL PRODUCTS EXPO Event Profile: The event is an opportunity to promote Halal brands via niche markets for global Halal goods. 10TH-14TH OCTOBER 2009 ANUGA, COLOGNE, GERMANY Event Profile: International Trade Fair for food and beverages for exhibitors and visitors to conduct cross-border business and participate in international networking. 29TH-31ST OCTOBER 2009 DUBAI INTERNATIONAL HALAL FAIR (DIHAS) Event Profile: The prestigious event will bring together companies from around the world to display genuine Halal products and services.

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Cover Story

he Halal industry has seen tremendous growth in the past few years, having seen increasing demand for Halal from both Muslim and non-Muslim consumers, growing inquiries about Halal know-how from the manufacturers, more participation

from suppliers of Halal-compliant raw materials, and more research to explain the goodness of Halal products. Even more so that other related service providers have also found a spot to fill in this burgeoning and lucrative industry that is estimated to be worth USD2.1 trillion annually, such as logistics, Islamic

Finance, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Ultimately, with this growing trend and trade opportunities, many cries have been heard for a unified Halal standard that may help improve the trade of Halal goods. Answering to this call, a flurry of organisations has come forward to develop a unified Halal

A unified Halal Standard...

finally?

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A little bit of history... standard that can be used as basic guidelines in any Halal system anywhere. The question is: what is happening to this development of one Halal standard for all? What is hampering this development? Who is doing it? Is it happening at all? The Halal Journal digs around to find out what is really happening to this aspect of the industry...

For many years, Halal was seen only as a religious obligation for Muslims, and for the Muslim minorities in many nonMuslim majority countries, it had not been easy to source for Halal products on the shelves, and Halal products could only be found in kiosks opened by dedicated Muslims who wants to supply to the demand from this small group of people. But when the world saw a growing population of at least 1.8 billion Muslims, many started to consider providing this niche market, leaving behind the competition within the mainstream food and beverage market especially. Think “Blue Ocean” as they would say. And then, Halal became an industry when Malaysia started promoting Halal not only to the Muslims but also to the nonMuslims. The logic: the Halal concept promotes qualities of safety, healthy, hygienic, and environmentally friendly, and these are appealing to every consumer. But for the manufacturers, problems arose when they face trouble trading Halal goods from one country to another because their Halal certificate is not recognised. This becomes a problem and the solution is to come up with one Halal standard that can be used as basic guidelines.

The World Halal Council

Words By RUZANNA MUHAMMAD

Almost twenty years ago, the World Halal Council (WHC) was formed to develop a unified Halal standard and they were so many steps ahead of everybody else in terms of realising the need for a single standard for the Halal industry. Established in 1999 in Jakarta, Indonesia, the WHC was formed to standardise the Halal certification and accreditation process among member organisations representing the different countries and nationalities worldwide. “Established as a communication forum for international certifying bodies, WHC has over the years, held several discourses on Halal certification problems, Halal inspection standards and processes. We have also held discourse on other relevant issues to seek a common perspective on every Halal related subject that can be followed and adopted by all Halal certifying bodies worldwide. This is to ensure that there are no varieties and differences in Halal certification,” said Ali Chawk, WHC chairman excom. “Basically, we feel (as an organisation very experienced in the area of Halal standards and certification processes) that, in the past, we have been ignored by the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI

Alliance) in the development of this Global Halal Standard. But we are pleased to inform you that I had a very successful and fruitful meeting with Brs. Nordin Abdullah (World Halal Forum Deputy Chairman) and Darhim Dali Hashim (IHI Alliance CEO). A lot of simmering issues from the past were cleared up and now the way is clear for better lines of communication. So WHC, WHF (World Halal Forum) and IHI Alliance can work together in this effort, in the sense that WHC can play a major role on the worldwide stage of Halal,” Ali added. He also said that it is very important to avoid duplicating work in Halal standards development and they (WHC) believe that they can help any Halal standard developer because the WHC have been doing it since 1999. “For example, we have reached a consensus between different schools of thought on what we need in a Halal standard, so the Global Halal Standard can use this as reference.” “When it comes to the section on food production of this Global Halal Standard, we feel that IHI Alliance should build up from the existing standard that we have outlined,” said Ali. According to Ali, WHC now have 43 member countries from different parts of the world: Europe, Asia, South East Asia, Africa, the Pacific, THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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Cover Story Americas and Australasia, and all their members have adopted one agreed and accepted standard. The questions are: What about other parts of the world who are not members to the WHC? Which standard should they adopt?

Enter Turkey... Four years ago, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) instructed the government body responsible for setting up standards for the consumer market, Turk Standartlari Enstitusu (the Turkish Institute of Standards, or TSE), to issue an official Halal standard for national use, which was planned to go into effect in fall 2006. This decision was made by the Turkish government to help increase and ease exports of Turkish products. However, political factors began hampering TSE’s efforts; and work on the national Halal standard for Turkey was not concluded. In 2008, three years after the Malaysian government proposed for a Halal food standard to the 32nd Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in Sanaa, Republic of Yemen, Turkey (through TSE) followed up this effort by offering to host the 9th Meeting of the OIC Standardisation Experts Group (SEG). The 9th Meeting of the OIC SEG was held in April 2008, where Turkey was assigned as Rapporteur for the two committees established: the first to be responsible for preparing the OIC Halal Food Standard, and the second to determine the methodology for certification and accreditation procedures. Turkey, as Rapporteur, was left in charge of drafting and finalising the related documents before the 10th Meeting of the OIC SEG, which will be held in Jeddah, early 2009, by the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in collaboration with the SEG Secretariat. And it was agreed that the SEG finalise the OIC Halal Standards and the Methodology for Accreditation and Certification Procedures to be submitted to the 25th Session of the COMCEC (the OIC Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation). It all sounds good and there had been a lot of optimism and anticipation towards this activity. But, what has happened to this effort? What is the progress or is it progressing? Just recently, the ICCI was mandated by the OIC to lead the development of a global Halal agenda as a way to encourage and improve intra-OIC trade, and the ICCI appointed the IHI Alliance to develop what is called the Global Halal Standard – a unified Halal standard for all. What is happening now?

Introducing the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI Alliance)…

The industry’s absence of a constructive platform to communicate and network has resulted in a cry for a neutral platform with a credible reference centre for a global Halal standard. This is where the IHI Alliance stepped

in following a mandate by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) that one voice should be the representative with regards to values, Halal and quality control. Perhaps it is good if we learn a little more about IHI Alliance, before questioning: Will IHI Alliance succeed with its Global Halal Standard?

Who is IHI Alliance and what do they do? IHI Alliance is a non-government, non-profit organisation, set up in 2007 following a resolution passed by international delegates from over 30 different countries, consisting of a cross section of stakeholders across the whole industry supply chain at the World Halal Forum 2006. Having been mandated to spearhead the development of the Global Halal Standard, IHI Alliance was created to uphold the integrity of the Halal industry through recognition, collaboration and certification. Its objectives include development of the global Halal industry by promoting and developing best practices, as well as promoting the understanding and acceptance of Halal goods and services to both Muslim and nonMuslim consumers. “Through our vision, IHI Alliance seeks to propagate the benefits of Halal and elevate it as the standard of choice by all consumers to achieve a stronger global Halal industry for the benefit of all,” says IHI Alliance CEO, Darhim Dali Hashim. IHI Alliance has made a strategic collaboration with the ICCI where the President, His Excellency Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel, also concurrently sits as the Chairman of the IHI Alliance and is the current Chairman of the World Halal Forum.

A unified Halal standard will ultimately expand the Halal trade market, with more transparency because of the traceability system which will be put in place.

The Global Halal Standard Following the mandate from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the IHI Alliance has been entrusted to harmonise the Halal standard and certification system globally. One of the biggest challenges faced by the Halal industry is lack of standardisation of products

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and services. Vast and varied numbers of certification bodies have resulted in import-export complexities. The Global Halal Standard developed by IHI Alliance consists of ten modules covering the entire Halal supply chain. The ten modules being developed are: • Logistics (subtopics: Warehouse; Transportation; and Terminal) • Foodservice (subtopics: Restaurants; Catering; and Retail) • Laboratory Testing and Analysis (subtopics: Ingredients and Products; Nutrition; and Halal Science R&D) • Animal Feeds and Inputs (subtopics: Feed covering graze and fed, as well as nutrition and supplements; and Non-Food Inputs covering antibiotics and hormones) • Animal Welfare and Handling (subtopics: Transportation by air, sea and land specifying density, duration, handling, holding yards and care and segregation; and On Farm issues such as grazing, feedlots and breeding) • Animal Slaughter and Processing (subtopics: Bovine; Poultry; Ovine; Camel and Game) • Non-meat Processed Foods (subtopics: Dairy; Beverage; Confectionary and Frozen) • Cosmetics and Toiletries (subtopics: Active Ingredients and Delivery Medium) • Pharmaceuticals (subtopics: Active Ingredients and Delivery Medium) • Finance (subtopics: Banking and Insurance) To ensure that the integrity of the entire Halal value chain is protected, IHI Alliance develops Global Halal Standard by setting up guidelines and best practices. Reference for the development of the Global Halal Standard is, at all cost, guided and modelled by the International Organisation for Standardisation’s (ISO) standards development procedure. All stakeholders’ participation is through invitation and endorsed by the Standards Management Board (SMB).

The standards development process...

The latest developments...

A module will be proposed to a country, asking them to host the Standards Development Discussions and following that, a Secretariat and Chairman will be appointed to facilitate the standard development. There are various processes and stages before the guidelines and best practices become a standard. For each module, a Technical Committee will be established by the Standards Management Board. The Technical Committee nominates experts for the working group which includes all the stakeholders such as the Ulamas (Shariah experts), industry players, as well as certification and regulatory bodies. The working groups are formed by dividing the stakeholders according to their expertise. Working Group discussions have been conducted worldwide in both Muslim and nonMuslim majority countries. Data compiled during these discussions will then be updated by the Secretariat to be included in the draft standards which is released by the committee for distribution amongst members. This committee draft will then be submitted to IHI Alliance’s Shariah Advisory Board for review. Upon review and approval by the Advisory Board, the draft shall then be presented at the ICCI General Assembly in Cairo for the OIC’s stamp of approval for usage of the standard throughout the OIC member countries. The World Halal Forum 2009, themed “Achieving Global Halal Integrity”, is a major and important event where the Global Halal Standard committee’s draft will be introduced to the public and made available for public enquiry for a period of five months. After this process, it will then be sent to the IHI Alliance Standard Management Board for final review and upon approval the committee’s draft becomes a standard. The standard will be used as a guideline in Halal certification and accreditation of certification bodies.

Out of the ten modules to be developed, IHI Alliance started with the first module on Halal Logistics, with the Netherlands being the host country. According to IHI Alliance CEO Darhim Dali Hashim, the logistics module was the first to be developed because there is no existing standard to refer to, and therefore had to be designed from scratch. Several meetings and discussions have since been initiated amongst the stakeholders on how best to develop the Halal standard for Logistics. Whilst the Netherlands was the host for this module, with the initial meeting in Rotterdam, meetings were also held in Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Hong Kong. Most of these meetings were held concurrently with various Halal trade shows where stakeholders were able to participate. The Halal Logistics module is now in the draft standards stage. Moving on to the next module, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia have been selected as host countries for the foodservice and food processing modules respectively. Working Group meetings have been conducted and further planning ahead is currently underway. Other countries have also been selected to host the remaining modules: Philippines for the animal feed module; Indonesia for the lab testing and analysis module; and Australia for the animal slaughter module. For the finance module, two countries, Malaysia and Kuwait, have been selected as hosts for this module.

Benefits of having a global Halal standard Upon completion of the Global Halal Standard, the certification, accreditation and training of human capital shall be formalised and standardised worldwide. This will decrease the differences in the interpretation of Halal and the availability of various Halal standards. Recognition from Governments will also reduce the unfair practices between the certification bodies and create the minimum THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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Cover Story requirements for the Halal audit system. Formalisation and standardisation of the Halal standard will provide identity and credibility for the whole Halal industry, as well as gaining international recognition. It will also provide confidence and assurance of quality to food producers, distributors, suppliers and most importantly, the consumers. A unified Halal standard will ultimately expand the Halal trade market, with more transparency because of the traceability system which will be put in place. Unresolved issues in the Halal industry can be overcome based on the sharing of basic infrastructure and consensus decisions made during the standards development process which will add to the Halal credibility aspect. This will result in cost and time savings in the Halal certification and audit systems.

IHI Alliance’s Partnership and Engagement Being a collective body of 57 member countries representing over 90 per cent of the global Muslim population, the OIC has set its sights on the global Halal market. The conclusion of the OIC Summit in Dakar on 13-14 March 2008 marked a major milestone in the global Halal industry and strengthened IHI Alliance’s presence in the industry via partnership with the ICCI. As stated in Resolution 135 of the Final Communiqué of the Eleventh Session of the Summit Conference (Session of the Muslim Ummah in the 21st Century): “135. The conference commended the major role undertaken by the Islamic Chamber and Commerce and Industry (ICCI) to reinforce Economic Trade Cooperation among the Member States. Furthermore, it welcomes the plans of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry and supported it as the principal representative of the private sector in OIC Member States with regards to values, Halal and quality control. The Conference, likewise, expressed its appreciation for the pioneering leadership of the Chamber’s Chairman. Furthermore, the Conference underlines the urgent need for the speedy implementation of the Chamber’s Plan of Action to consolidate economic trade and trade cooperation among Member States. It urged all Muslims governments to facilitate the procedures in activation its mechanisms.” This resolution, clearly gives ICCI the mandate to spearhead the global Halal agenda for the OIC. By forging a strategic partnership, IHI Alliance is mandated to implement the agenda. Whilst delivering the keynote address at the World Halal Forum 2008, the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made a landmark announcement, effectively signalling Malaysia’s strong commitment and support for the development of the Global Halal Standard by pledging RM15 million to the IHI Alliance to represent the international Halal industry players with one definitive voice. “As a legacy of Malaysia’s past chairmanship and as our commitment to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, my government reiterates our willingness to extend technical assistance

to all Muslim nations, as well as to Muslim minorities in non-OIC nations,” said Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Comments by the Malaysian Prime Minister also included extending assistance in the areas of Halal certification, technical know-how and standards development. IHI Alliance’s position within the OIC was further strengthened in Resolution 7/35E of the Resolution of Economic Affairs under the Development of International Halal Standard, which was adopted at the Thirty-Fifth Session of The Council of Foreign Ministers at Kampala, Republic of Uganda on 18-20 June 2008. As extracted from Resolution 7/35-E: “... 3. Commends the ongoing efforts to develop an OIC Halal Standard, particularly regarding certification and accreditation among OIC Member States 4. Welcomes the contribution of RM15 million by the Government of Malaysia over the next three years for the funding support of the operating cost of the International Halal Integrity Alliance, a non-profit organisation with the objective to promote and enhance international collaboration amongst national Halal authorities...” Support for IHI Alliance and the Global Halal Standard also came from manufacturers and suppliers of Halal products. During the first World Halal Forum in 2006, a representative from Nestle South Africa expressed Nestle’s agreement to the developments. “Nestle very much supports a global Halal standard and for one logo to be created...” said Frits van Dijk, Executive Vice President of Nestle South Africa for Asia, Oceania, Africa and Middle East region. IHI Alliance also collaborates with other major industry players in the quest for developing the Halal industry and upholding the integrity of the industry as a whole. For example, IHI Alliance works in partnership with Intertek, a leading provider of quality and safety solutions. With over 1,000

laboratories and offices around the world, it performs audit and inspection for quality assurance of customer’s products and processes. IHI Alliance’s initiatives to expand the global Halal market include research facilitation in creating a knowledge base in Halal and development of new products and technologies, providing solutions for Halal industry players. This will, in time, make Halal products and services more widely available especially in non-Muslim countries because it will encourage more manufacturers or service providers to introduce or expand their Halal product lines. To achieve this objective, IHI Alliance strives to work harmoniously with various governments in global efforts to develop the Halal industry and foster intra-OIC trade. This will vitally promote the Halal industry and its acceptance worldwide making a stronger global Halal industry for all.

Conclusion It seems a lot have been said about the development of a unified Halal standard. But the results, we have yet to find out. All seems well with the IHI Alliance’s Global Halal Standards, as they are apparently following a proper standardisation methodology and process, on top of being transparent about updating the public of the standards development progress. But, the question remains unanswered. Will this Global Halal Standard be accepted and approved by the Grand Mufti? And if yes, will it be successfully implemented? We chose to be optimistic, and in patience, we wait and hope for the successful development of the long awaited unified Halal standard, which will (among other factors such as logistics development) help improve intra-OIC trade, the socio-economy of the OIC member states, and especially, the socio-economy of the least developed or poorer OIC member states, Insya Allah, and of course ease trade of Halal goods for other countries worldwide. hj

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THE PREMIER GLOBAL HALAL INDUSTRY EVENT

The 4th World Halal Forum 2009 ACHIEVING GLOBAL HALAL INTEGRITY

Call for papers THE WORLD HALAL FORUM IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS THE FOREMOST GATHERING OF HALAL INDUSTRY LEADERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, ALL CONVERGING IN KUALA LUMPUR EVERY YEAR TO DISCUSS ISSUES WITHIN THE GLOBAL HALAL INDUSTRY. THIS MAKES IT AN EXCELLENT PLATFORM TO SHARE IDEAS, RAISE CONCERNS AND SUGGEST OPPORTUNITIES SO AS TO CHART THE FUTURE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HALAL INDUSTRY. WE THEREFORE INVITE ALL INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GLOBAL HALAL MARKET BY SUBMITTING PROPOSED PAPERS TO BE PRESENTED DURING THE WHF 2009.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 15TH M AR CH 2009 FOR MORE INFO, LOG ON TO WWW.WORLDHALALFORUM.ORG OR CALL THE WHF SECRETARIAT AT +6 03 6203 1025

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HALAL TRACEABILITY – THE KEY TO ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE

s an innovative manufacturer, CCM’s research and development (R&D) arm, Innovax Sdn Bhd, is constantly undertaking efforts to develop new products and this involves acquiring raw materials which is the first and crucial point in Halal traceability. The team will examine every ingredient thoroughly to ensure the items are free from non-Halal elements before proceeding to source and purchase these raw materials from the suppliers. When selecting Halal raw materials, it is vital to trace them back through the suppliers’ supply chain process to examine whether they practise a Halal-friendly environment when they produce, store and transport the materials, besides assuring that the materials of animal origin are Halal and are slaughtered according to Shariah Law. Stressing this from the very beginning helps to ensure that the suppliers too are responsible in guaranteeing ingredients purchased are derived from 100 per cent Halal origins. CCM works closely with the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) seeking advice on any Halal matters and keeping abreast of changes in Halal certification requirements. CCM also feels the need to continuously educate their suppliers on the importance of Halal practices in their production and premises to guarantee that the raw materials purchased are not contaminated with non-Halal ingredients. Recently CCM collaborated with HDC in conducting a Halal awareness seminar for all of their suppliers. The process continues as CCM makes sure that Halal requirements are being

sustained in every aspect of the manufacturing procedures. These include preparation, processing, handling, cleaning, distribution, storage, display, servings, packaging, labelling, transportation, and management practices. Throughout the entire supply chain, CCM is committed to fulfil strict requirements ensuring that the equipment used does not come into direct physical contact with non-Halal items. CCM has also established a Halal Council at Group level and Halal Committees throughout its divisions. The Council’s main focus is to strategise, plan, control, develop policies/guidelines and provide leadership to drive, strengthen and promote CCM’s Halal initiatives. The main task of the Halal Committee is to ensure that all operational activities always adhere to the requirements of the authorised Islamic certification bodies and other related regulatory bodies. CCM has also established a Halal Policy that documents our commitment towards spearheading the Halal initiatives. With CCM Halal Policy as the backbone, together with the strong leadership and guidance from CCM Halal Council and the active participation and support from each of the Divisions’ Halal Committees and employees, CCM will be focusing on strengthening their Halal Integrity, continuous Capacity Building and intensive Marketing as the key areas to support their aspiration to become the Halal Supplier of Choice. CCM also provides continuous training programmes and seminars for employees and organises regular meetings with relevant bodies such as HDC, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM),

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Being the pioneer in their respective industries to obtain the Halal certification for Halal health supplements and Halal chemicals, CCM is confident in leading the initiatives in providing Halal products beyond food and beverages.

the Department of Standards Malaysia (DSM), Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM), World Halal Forum, International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI Alliance), the Ministry of Health, and universities in order to keep abreast with the relevant regulatory requirements and current issues in the Halal industry. With that, CCM is constantly improving the employees’ skills and ensuring a Halal working environment in the organisation. Being the pioneer in their respective industries to obtain the Halal certification for Halal health supplements and Halal chemicals, CCM is confident in leading the initiatives in providing Halal products beyond food and beverages. CCM are looking forward to developments in the Halal industry and are convinced that Halal traceability is a very good tool and an investment that will improve product quality and ignite profitability in the long run especially in the global market expansion. By assuring that from the food you eat, to the water you drink and to their pharmaceutical products you consume are Halal compliant, they are strengthening their commitment to ‘Enhancing Quality of Life’. Today’s consumers are

discerning and knowledgeable with thanks to the World Wide Web with information accessible at a click of the mouse. Regardless of their religious or cultural affiliations, Muslims and non-Muslims want to know how products are being manufactured and where the ingredients originate. Furthermore, Muslims are becoming more aware that the Halal concept does not only involve food. It is about everything Halal in their daily lives from health supplements, health care products, banking, perfumes and cosmetics to toiletries and many more. Chemical Company of Malaysia Berhad (CCM) is cognizant of the need to emphasise good quality, highest hygiene, safety and nutritional standards when preparing our Halal certified products in the best possible manner. The key to Halal assurance is Halal traceability. Halal traceability simply means the ability to trace in order to ensure an absolute guarantee of Halal products. Halal compliance not only requires manufacturers but also distributors, suppliers and importers to fully adhere to Islamic preparation and handling guidelines based on quality, hygiene and safety importance. THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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HALAL LOGISTIC SERIES > PART 3 OF 3

HALAL COMPLIANT TERMINAL

FACILITATING IMPORTS AND EXPORTS

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Words By IR. MARCO TIEMAN

After transportation and warehousing, the terminal completes the logistics system in ensuring the integrity of the Halal goods flow. The chart (figure 2) shows this relationship between Halal Goods Flow, the transportation and warehousing operations, and terminal infrastructure. Evidence supports that the Halal performance of a Halal goods flow (supply

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Halal compliant terminal is a sea port, river port, airport, rail or inland terminal where Halal goods are segregated in compliance with the Shariah. These terminals play a key role in facilitating imports, exports and (domestic) intermodal transport. These locations are not only a hub for transportation flows, but also a complex network of different parties involved with information exchanges. For sea and air terminals, this is shown in Figure 1. chain) is a function of the Halal performance of the transportation, warehousing and terminal operations. A terminal involves high volumes of both Halal and non-Halal goods where products are inspected and value added. Because of this, it is crucial for the Halal integrity of the supply chain that the facilitation is according to an international Halal logistics standard.

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FIGURE 1 : PARTIES INVOLVED Source: LBB International, 2008

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FIGURE 2 : THE HALAL LOGISTICS SYSTEM

HALAL GOODS FLOW Logistics Standard as part of the port procedures as any other goods categories (such as dangerous goods). Logistics service providers that champion the transportation and warehousing connecting to the Hinterlands. Some good examples of this type of logistics providers are Malaysia’s MISC Logistics and Eurofrigo of the Netherlands for seaports, and Thailand’s Global Halal Services for airport.

TRANSPORTATION & WAREHOUSING OPERATIONS

TERMINAL INFRASTRUCTURE

CONCLUSION

Source: LBB International, 2008

AS EXPLAINED IN THIS ARTICLE, THE TERMINALS PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND HAVE A HIGH IMPACT ON THE INTEGRITY OF THE FINAL PRODUCT. THEREFORE COUNTRIES SHOULD PUT MUCH EMPHASIS ON THE FACILITATION OF HALAL GOODS AT THEIR LEADING TERMINALS (SEA AND AIRPORTS). A terminal furthermore contributes to: • Supply chain costs – competitive costs and low freight rates • Quality, safety and security of cargo • Efficient handling and movement of cargo supported by an access to a range of modalities, with a certain connectivity, frequency and congestion level. Studies have shown that industries located near international terminals, such as sea and airports enjoy a cost advantage as compared to their competitors that are located further away. This is a result of access to various modes of transport and short transportation distances. This is an important reason for clustering of industries around sea and airports to leverage on this cost advantage. Similar to other industrial clusters such

as food, fruit, chemical and automotive, Halal industrial clusters should also be located near sea and airports. APPLICATION OF HALAL FOR TERMINALS

The basic principle of a Halal Compliant Terminal is to ensure a physical segregation of Halal cargo from nonHalal cargo throughout the terminal process. Specific for the terminal is (first of all) the need for inspections. The inspection of Halal cargo needs to be undertaken at a designated area. There should be no mixing of Halal and non-Halal products in this process. Secondly, terminals also facilitate the transportation and holding for livestock. It is very important that there is no mixing of Halal and non-Halal livestock (such as pigs) in the quarantine and holding areas. The storage of products

in warehouses at the terminal should be in compliance with the Halal warehouse procedures. The stuffing and un-stuffing at the terminal should follow the Halal transportation procedures. For a complete insight into the requirements for Halal Transportation, please contact the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI Alliance) or your local Halal authority. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS OF A HALAL COMPLIANT TERMINAL

From experience in Halal Logistics initiatives worldwide, there are three critical success factors that need to be addressed in a Halal Compliant Terminal: Information sharing with the various parties and stakeholders involved in the terminal process – ‘Halal Supply Chain’ code Embedding of the Halal

Halal is a large and fast growing cargo flow that requires certain segregation principles in order to ensure the integrity throughout the supply chain. As explained in this article, the terminals play a key role in the supply chain and have a high impact on the integrity of the final product. Therefore countries should put much emphasis on the facilitation of Halal goods at their leading terminals (sea and airports). The industry should also see the terminals as an excellent location to develop so-called ‘Halal zones’ or ‘clusters of industries’, to be located near these terminals to leverage on the cost advantage terminals offer as well as a location for value added activities. The Halal Logistics Module of the Global Halal Standard developed by IHI Alliance is one of the modules that will be presented at the World Halal Forum in May 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for public comments. The Halal Logistics Module will cover transportation, warehouse and terminal and once approved, it will allow Halal trade to prosper to a new level playing field. hj 1. IHI Alliance is an international, non-profit organisation that has been set up to represent the global Halal industry with one collective voice. It is currently developing a Global Halal Standard under the auspices of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).

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ROLE OF HALAL

DIETARY STANDARDS IN FUTURE TRENDS

slam is a fast growing religion. There are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world Words By today. In this 21st century, one out of every four people on the face of MOHAMMAD MAZHAR the earth will claim to be a Muslim. More that 450 million Muslims live HUSSAINI, M.S., L.D. as minorities in different nations of the globe, forming a part of so many different cultures and societies. In spite of their diversities, Muslims form a single nation (ummah) by virtue of their beliefs and the religion of Islam, which encompasses every aspect of their lives. By the year 2021 A.D., Muslims will grow into the largest religious minority in the United States (US).

INCOME TRENDS Future income trends indicate the gap widening between the `haves’ and the `have-nots’. Middle class income groups will be phasing out as a result of their upward mobility towards affluence or their regression down towards poverty. This trend will be the demise of the mass market, which has traditionally been based on the middle class. Consequently, premium food products will go to the affluent and substandard food products will go to the poor and thrifty consumers. Halal practices in earning and consumption can narrow the gap between rich and poor. For the general good of the society, Halal practices regulate acquisition, possession and use (consumption) of everything through following four principles: The earning and/or spending (consumption) should not violate the laws of Allah, that of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) and the existing law of the land. “O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey His Apostle and those charged with authority among you...” (Al-Qur’an 4:59) The earning and spending (consumption) should not cause any loss, harm

or injury (physical, mental, moral, or spiritual) to one’s self. “... And make not your own hands contribute to your destruction, but do good, for Allah loves those who do good.” (Al-Qur’an 2:195) “...Nor kill or destroy yourself for Allah has been to you Most Merciful.” (Al-Qur’an 4:29) The earning and/or spending (consumption) should not cause any loss, harm, or injury (physical, mental, moral, or spiritual) to others. “O you who believe! Do not consume your property among yourself wrongfully, but let there be trade of mutual consent,” (Al-Qur’an 4:29) The earning and/or spending (consumption) should not cause any harm, damage, or injury to the environment. Allah made man His caliph (trustee or manager) on earth. “It is He who has made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth...” (Al-Qur’an 6:165) With the trusteeship comes the responsibility of man to protect the environment and maintain peace and harmony on earth. Earning/acquisition and spending/consuming

of things, materials, wealth or property involve four elements: • Intention • Efforts or endeavours • Sources • Means and methods When things are earned/ acquired or used/ consumed with good intention, by honest efforts, from lawful sources, and by fair means and methods, the earning/consumption become lawful (Rizq-ehalal). These are the only earnings/acquisitions and spending/consuming acceptable in Islam. “Eat of the thing which Allah has provided for you, lawful and good....” (Al-Qur’an 5:88) Whether Muslim societies will follow the Halal standards in earning/ acquiring and spending/ consuming and establish economic justice in the 21st century, however, remains to be seen. FAMILY TRENDS As American society enters the 21st century, the traditional nucleus of the family unit is quickly disintegrating. Single-person households and mothers working outside the home are on the rise. In case of nucleus families that are intact, the high cost of living will force both

parents to work outside the home. This trend will necessitate convenient food items for all meals. The demand for breakfast foods, baby foods, snacks and frozen dinners will increase tremendously. Islamic practices protect the family unit, as it is fundamental to an Islamic society. Many Muslim families, however, will succumb to the mainstream American trends. Meeting the demands of (Muslim) family trends, Halal breakfast foods, snacks, baby foods and frozen dinners will be prepared and marketed on a larger scale. The cook/chill product system will be economical and convenient.

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Currently, there are several Halal certifying agencies that are run by individuals or a small group of individuals with no accountability to the Muslim consumer. Each certifying agency has its own Halal standard causing confusion, deception and at times fraud.

ETHNIC TRENDS The minority population of America is rapidly growing in number and the booming ethnic population is causing what is called the “browning of America”. The Muslim population in North America is estimated to have reached over eight million. With the increase in Muslim population, hundreds of Halal restaurants with various Muslim world cuisines are cropping up in the metropolitan cities. More and more Americans are travelling overseas, taking vacations, employment and conducting businesses. Americans are developing a taste for ethnic foods from their overseas experiences, as well as from eating

in ethnic restaurants. Meals with a wide ethnic appeal will gain acceptance in America in the years to come. The increasing market of microwave-able meals with improved ethnic flavours will have a wide scope. Halal meat and poultry with delicious recipes from the Muslim world can create their niche in the American food market. LABELLING TRENDS Nutrition and ingredient labelling will become essential due to the health concerns. Labels should display the Halal symbols on a wide variety of food products with due certification by Muslim supervising agencies of national stature such as the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). This can be brought about by Muslim consumers insisting that the food industry comply with Halal standards during manufacturing, processing and packaging of foods for the growing Muslim population. Currently, there are several Halal certifying agencies that are run by individuals or a small group of individuals with no accountability to the Muslim consumer. Each certifying agency has its own Halal standard causing confusion, deception and at times fraud. Despite Halal laws that have been passed in five states in the US, authorities cannot enforce them due to lack of a unified Halal standard that the Muslim community has failed to give to the enforcing authorities. This will change in coming years as national organisations are taking note of the issue and are building consensus for a unified Halal standard. TREND OF MOLECULAR SCIENCE With the advancement of molecular science, individual diets will be

tailored to each person’s unique genetic make-up. There will be a market shift from populationbased dietary guidelines towards individual diets. Professionals shall be made aware of Halal regulations/requirements so that Halal standards are maintained in the preparation and administration of such individualised diets for Muslims. TOTAL DIET APPROACH Americans are becoming more diet and health conscious. This trend is leading to a focus on: • Avoidance diets such as low cholesterol diets • Diets planned around a single nutrient, such as low salt diet, low fat diet, protein diet and so on • Risk avoidance diets such as avoiding pesticides, artificial ingredients, salmonella, • listeria and so on. Food tampering is also one of the areas of concern • Organic and natural foods The Halal food approach should be promoted by focusing on moderation, balance, variety and safety. The Quranic teaching (that is addressing mankind and not just Muslims) will be promoted, by eating all that is lawful (Halal) and wholesome (Tayyib). FOOD EXPORTING TRENDS Many Muslim countries depend upon non-Muslim countries including the US and Canada, for their food supplies. This dependency will rise to an alarming level. In the 21st century, Muslim countries will have a definite goal of becoming self-sufficient in their food production. In addition, they will form a network among themselves to take care of each other’s needs. All the imported foods will be scrutinised by Muslim authorities for authentic Halal standards, in addition to

wholesomeness, quality and safety for the Muslim consumers. From the US, there is an increase in food exports to Muslim countries. With the potential lucrative Halal market, some US food companies are learning about Halal standards and establishing marketing network overseas. Some companies are targeting the domestic Halal market of more than eight million consumers in North America. Muslim entrepreneurs may aggressively capture this market by virtue of their commitment to Halal standards and service to the ummah. SEAFOOD TRENDS There are tremendous food resources in the ocean which will be exploited to feed the world in the 21st century. The Halal system of consumption provides blanket permission (with some exceptions) for consuming seafood. As stated in the Quran: “And He it is Who has constrained the sea to be of service that you eat fresh meat from thence... “. (Al-Qur’an 16:14) HUNGER AND MALNUTRITION There are over 24 million hungry people in the US today and half of them are children. With the widening gap between the `haves’ and the `havenots’, these numbers can soar. This silent and hidden suffering is not due to a lack of food; rather, it is due to society’s indifference towards the hungry and homeless. Following the tradition of feeding the hungry practiced by the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h), Muslims are launching campaigns of feeding the hungry. The institution of fasting (during the entire month of Ramadhan every year) provides an environment conducive for such campaigns. The THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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The existing science and technology take into account only the physical being without any consideration for the moral and spiritual aspect of human life. sharing of sacrificial meat on the occasion of Eid ul Adha with the non-Muslim neighbours in an organised manner will be institutionalised. The Muslims of Chicago (through Dawahnet) has initiated such campaign donating thousands of pounds of sacrificial meat to Chicago Food Depository for feeding the needy children every year. SUBSTANCE ABUSE The use and abuse of alcohol, drugs and intoxicating substances is rampant in American society. In the 21st century, substance abuse might get out of hand, if it is not already out of hand. Islam is the only religion which totally prohibits the consumption of intoxicating substances. Following their Islamic Halal standards, Muslims will be guarding themselves and their families from indulging into this Haram (prohibited) activity by strongly practicing total abstinence as ordained by the Quran (5:90-01). Muslims will be in the forefront of a movement exhorting co-citizens to practice abstinence from the intoxicating alcohol and drugs. Only a strong character emanating from taqwa (the fear and love) of Allah could resist the temptation

of Satanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s handiwork in substance abuse. When the Muslim society will manifest itself as clean of drugs and alcohol and the entire wrath that comes with it, the American society may perhaps find a viable solution to this grave problem. TREND WITH MUSLIM MEALS In American Prisons: There are more than a million inmates incarcerated in the American prison system. As a result of Dawah activities in the prisons, an increasing number of inmates are accepting Islam. Even prison authorities are encouraging this trend because of the positive behavioural changes manifested in the inmates who have accepted Islam. As the new Muslims would like to practice their religion (Islam), the Muslim inmates are insisting on having Halal meals served to them. Currently, they are provided vegetarian meals in absence of the availability of Halal meals (with Halal meat). Though the vegetables and fruits in so called vegetarian meals apparently meet the Halal standard, the bread with Haram to Mashbooh (doubtful) ingredients, the contamination of the grill, pots and pans, serving utensils, and the like, with possible Haram shortening or food in which the vegetables are cooked and served, renders such food Haram and unacceptable. Several lawsuits have been filed by Muslim inmates wanting to obtain Halal foods. As the demand will increase for Halal foods and proper Halal food is procured by the authorities with ease, Halal food will hopefully be provided to the Muslim inmates as the Kosher food is provided to their Jewish counterparts. In Public Schools: Although Muslim

communities in North America have been able to establish in excess of 1,000 Muslim schools across the continent, the majority of the Muslim children do attend public schools. These children face challenge everyday of adhering to the Halal standards while partaking lunch with their fellowstudents. There is no provision of providing Halal meal to the Muslim children in the public school system yet. A consistent demand by Muslim parents with ingenious solution may encourage the public school system to provide Halal meals in their respective schools. In Hospitals and Nursing Homes: Muslim patients face difficulty in hospitals and nursing homes in selecting their Halal diets. The food service personnel and the dieticians/nutritionists are not quite aware of the Halal requirements. With increased admittance of Muslim patients in these institutions, organised efforts to educate the health care and food service personnel about Halal requirements and consistent demand for Halal diet, will see these institutions encouraged to provide Halal diets to the Muslim patients. In the Airline Industry: Vegetarian meals, sea food platters and/or kosher meals are being offered as alternatives to Halal meal for Muslim travellers on most domestic and international flights. However, none of these meals are holistically acceptable substitutes for Halal meal due to the possibility of inclusion of and/or contamination with, one or several questionable

food or ingredients that may be Haram. Although there are similarities between Halal and Kosher, there are marked differences between these two systems of food consumption. Just like Halal is not accepted as Kosher by the Jews, Kosher is not accepted as Halal by the Muslims. These two systems must be respected as is, with their unique identities. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims travel by air every day. A consistent demand for Muslim [Halal] meals will encourage the airline industry to provide for the Muslims. TREND OF THE EXISTING FOOD TECHNOLOGY AND NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES There is a phenomenal advancement in the field of food technology and nutritional sciences. Nevertheless, these sciences and technologies are certainly not directed by divine guidance. The existing science and technology take into account only the physical being without any consideration for the moral and spiritual aspect of human life. The profit motive is the main reason behind industrial growth and development rather than the total well-being of the human life. Muslim experts in this field of food and nutrition including the food and agriculture industries have the responsibility to bring out the knowledge and processes that are beneficial to the people, land and the environment, taking guidance from the Al-Quran and Sunnah. They should team up with the concerned non-Muslim scientists, technologists, industrialists, and activists to sustain this noble cause.

Mohammad Mazhar Hussaini, M.S., L.D., is the President of American Halal Foundation, USA. He is a Chief Consultant to Halal Program of Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). Mr. Mohammad is the author, nutritionist, and leader in Halal education, recognised throughout the Muslim community worldwide. He can be reached at mmhussaini@sbcglobal.net.

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Tanjung Manis Zoning Plan

Tanjung Manis

Words & Photos By JAKE SUMMERS

THE HALAL PARK OF SARAWAK

The Tanjung Manis Halal Park was an idea conceptualised by YB Hajjah Nora Tun Abdul Rahman (Member of Parliament Tanjung Manis) herself. The idea came to her after she entered into the world of politics and wanted to ﬁnd a way to eradicate the poverty looming over her native state of Sarawak. The answer: create jobs, and that is what this Halal Park is going to do.

odelled around its counter-part in Skagen, Denmark, Tanjung Manis Halal Park sits on thirty-five point one (35.1) hectares of land and has a 600 meter wharf that runs parallel to Sungai Rajang, Sarawak (the longest river in Malaysia) in a strategic location to enable it to be a deep water port. Tanjung Manis is set to emerge as an important fishing port. Currently, there is a dockyard owned by Taiwanese and Korean companies already in place with the addition of the newly completed fishing wharf which is designed to attract foreign fishing

companies as well as provide the local fishing community with modern facilities. YB Hajjah Nora said that the creation of new jobs is paramount to the success of Tanjung Manis’ surrounding communities and it was her actualisation of this that inevitably led to the creation of the Halal Park. The park in turn will create a massive six to eight thousand jobs when at full capacity with a whopping three thousand jobs being created in the first phase alone. This amount of job opportunities will make an extensive impact on the forty-five thousand residents currently in the area. With foreign investors already eager to buy in,

it can be forecasted that Tanjung Manis will take flight even given the current economic situation. YB Hajjah Nora also said, “The agro industry is usually the last hit in such circumstances; people do not need a new car when times get tough, but they still need to eat.” The Tanjung Manis Halal Park has already lured six key investment partners from Taiwan, which will be injecting RM2 billion into the development of agrobased commodities including poultry farms, feed grain mills, bio-technology based pharmaceuticals, marine fish, prawn farms, and even eels, all of which are one hundred

per cent organic and Halal. On top of the Taiwanese investors, there is also the possibility of constructing a campus for the National Ping-Tung University of Science and Technology aimed at carrying out research and development (R&D) and training for biotechnology and Halal. “In order to make this place a working success, we had to analyse the entire plan from start to finish, making sure that not only would it create economic stimulus, but it would also be good for the environment and be a sustainable development,” said YB Hajjah Nora. Having said this, she elaborated that this project

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This project would have a large impact on the native population and so it was important to educate the surrounding villages about the upcoming changes that will take place, both to the local landscape as well as for the people themselves.

YB Hajjah Nora Member of Parliament Tanjung Manis

would have a large impact on the native population and so it was important to educate the surrounding villages about the upcoming changes that will take place, both to the local landscape as well as for the people themselves. The six Taiwanese companies are also looking into corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes to aid in the development of the local population and economy. The land usage has already been cleared by the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) so we can all look forward to the construction of the park itself. The park boast several incentives to attract investors, these include investment tax exemption, pioneer status with tax exemption, import duty exemption, tax exemption on commodity goods, double deduction on expenses incurred in obtaining international quality standards,

sales tax exemption, fast approval of Halal Malaysia Status as well as the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) incentives. The Halal Park Industries include biotechnology, aquaculture prawn farming, feed-milling and fertilisers, organic chicken and egg production, eel farming, marine fish farming, aqua processing industries, R&D centre, fruit and vegetable farms and herbal plantations. A key factor into the algae farm which is being set up for the use of the feed mill and biotechnology elements is the incredible ability and efficiency in absorbing free carbon dioxide from the air. By today’s average findings by the world’s scientific research community, the most viable models have been found to absorb approximately 100 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year for every hectare of commercial algae

cultivation (100MT CO2/Ha). Given these findings and the amount of land that has been allocated to cultivate these algae (chlorella), YB Hajjah Nora assures all that Tanjung Manis is not only clean, but also green. When asked what the Halal Park’s next move will be, YB Hajjah Nora said, “Bringing in more companies and investors is high on the agenda and is critical for the outright success of this project as well as having the park up and running at full capacity”. The following step once this project is reaping its rewards is to then “expand the current idea throughout Sarawak,” she added. Although this next step is still in the pipeline, with YB Hajjah Nora’s determination to develop her home state, it is highly likely that we will see other industrial parks constructed in the near future. “We are already having talks about Geo-mapping and

Geo-cropping to see where would be the most suitable locations for our expansion,” explained YB Hajjah Nora, and though the current product range being generated at the Tanjung Manis Halal Park is diverse, she also said that they are looking into further expanding that range and that 50,000 Ha has been set aside by the state for development and that “projects such as paddy rice are looking very attractive given the recent food security crisis back in July of last year”. “Food security must be established in Malaysia and Tanjung Manis Halal Park will contribute to that security,” she affirms. From the organic and Halal poultry farm alone, it is expected that a large number of value added goods can be created, not to mention the marine fish farm, the prawn farm and the biotechnology/ feed mill. It is no wonder that YB Hajjah Nora can make such a comment with so much confidence, with some of the most stringent protocols in place such as the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and the MS1900, we can trust the products coming out of the Park to be of the highest quality. Another added bonus to consumer confidence will be the fact that East Malaysia is declared as having the status of ‘Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Free’. The timing of this project and the location combined with YB Hajjah Nora’s determination to enhance her state, coupled with the amount of foreign investment obtained are all factors that have driven this development forward. YB Hajjah Nora, with full confidence and determination, said, “There will be no backing away, and even if a few stumbling blocks are put in the way, you and I can both look forward to seeing a rapid change in how we see Sarawak as a state and how we see Tanjung Manis Halal Park as a brand name.” hj THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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fast track | AMERICAS “Change” and “Yes we can”, simple words put together in such eloquence and delivered by a personality whose presence and demeanour has transcended all traditional boundaries to once again put the United States in a position of international credibility. Or has it? Will the change that is being advocated come as swiftly and radically as the arrival of the first African American President? Will American politics and international policy be flexible enough for the tide of change or will it be stifled by short-term national interest policies?

Obama: the change-maker and the dawn of a new era? BY PUYA B.E

PRESIDENT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA II is the American dream come true. Born of mixed parentage, his childhood spent in Hawaii and Indonesia, a Harvard graduate, a lawyer, a firm believer in integrity and armed with a personality that enraptures, has currently made the 44th President of America the most famous international personality. There are no words to describe the incredible euphoria felt not only by Americans but by the citizens of the world during Obama’s acceptance speech. The pessimists must acknowledge that there has never been such an event in our history. One man, with visions so grand, so relative and so very powerful, has created more allegiances and believers outside the United States than in. To really understand the impact and the possibilities of President Obama’s term in office, it is best to examine the underlying reasons for his election.

WHY OBAMA AND WHY DEMOCRATS? Looking back into American history, the most similar presidency that can be used to anticipate Obama’s term would be Franklin D. Roosevelt’s (FDR). Just like Obama, he came into power with promises of transparency, integrity, affirmative action and acting for the people. During FDR’s time, the world

incredible burden placed on President Obama is immense. It seems the hope and trust of over 300 million Americans and 6 billion global citizens lie on his shoulders. A burden to make any ordinary man to either buckle, or rise up to the challenge. was going through the Great Depression combined with volatile international relations in Europe and Asia dominating the headlines. FDR initiated works programmes under

“The New Deal” aimed at relieving unemployment and repairing the financial system. His personality, courage and integrity made him the longest serving President

ever and the only one to be elected four times (he passed away while serving his fourth term as President). The similarities are incredible, from both the

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fast track | AMERICAS domestic and international fronts. Both FDR and Obama, believe in representing the people, FDR used to hold fireside chats on the radio and television, where he would address the nation and keep up their morale during challenging times. The same can be said of President Obama and his blackberry. Americans in general have always turned to the Democrats (Ronald Reagan aside) to safeguard their welfare and economic vibrancy. The hard-line stance taken by the Republicans seems to be no longer needed. Most Americans are tired of being exposed to negative images of their country in the eyes of other nations. It mystified them, for they were the sacred caretakers and advocators of democracy, peace, freedom and human rights. Thanks to the Internet and other alternative media, the American public are aware that they are being scorned by others for being hypocrites. They are tired of financial scandals, participating in unnecessary wars, seeing pictures of their flag being burnt, not feeling welcome during their overseas travels and having a President that is always constantly under fire. Most importantly it seems that the American public did not want to feel helpless and scared anymore, the War on Terror having long lost its lustre. A change was needed, a change so drastic and so complete that it would rock the very foundations of America and in tandem the world. Barack Obama is that change. The incredible burden placed on President Obama is immense. It seems the hope and trust of over 300 million Americans and 6 billion global citizens lie on his shoulders. A burden to make any ordinary man to either buckle, or rise up to the challenge.

OBAMA AND THE ECONOMY President Obama should consider himself lucky that he has had more than enough time to plan how to deal with the economic crisis at home and abroad. Currently the President has prepared and is ready to roll out, his economic plan which includes works programmes, guaranteed unemployment insurance and healthcare. The above plan has been approved by many opposing Republicans, for they know how important it is during harsh economic times to keep the people satisfied and moving in a steady and united direction towards a remedy (expect announcements such as ending tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas). On the international front President Obama will be taking China into account for currency manipulation and will fight to keep the price of oil low. He has been very passionate about finding and securing alternative means of energy, and, with the planned withdrawal of American troops in Iraq, he will have a lot more money at his disposal to fund research and development. A wealthier and confident American economy will naturally help other economies worldwide to strengthen and recover. One of the biggest proposals expected to be passed by President Obama is the reduction of foreign aid, especially to those non-performing allies (read: Pakistan).

OBAMA AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS It is important to realise that since the end of the Second World War (WWII) and the Cold War, America has a very important role in maintaining international security. It is a

With the oncoming renaissance of America’s image under President Obama, a majority of Muslim countries expect a more respectful, sympathetic and direct approach from the new administration. The current Israeli and Palestinian conflict will be used as a testing ground for Obama’s stance. mantle they inherited from being victorious in two of modern histories darkest moments. After the First World War (WWI), America went into a period of isolation, not interfering with any of the threatening issues arising out of unsettled European states, which eventually resulted in WWII. The United States realised that isolationism is no longer an option as conflict and the wayward ambition of others will eventually be a threat if not dealt with accordingly. The worlds biggest International Organisations (The League of Nations which later dissolved to give birth to the United Nations) were ideas that were formed and supported by America as a tool that can be used to coerce and rectify international problems. President Obama however has yet to really promote the UN as the Organisation seems to be sinking deeper and deeper into obsolescence. If this happens it will be a massive blow for idealism and eventually international relations for America. America under the two terms of George W. Bush (Junior) was seen by a lot of countries as public enemy number one, the image enhanced with the help of the international and independent media. America’s war in Iraq, Afghanistan and their undying

support of Israel has made them the scapegoat of every Muslim majority nation, the atrocities in Abu Gharib and the unfortunate events in Guantanamo Bay further fuelling the resentment. With the oncoming renaissance of America’s image under President Obama, a majority of Muslim countries expect a more respectful, sympathetic and direct approach from the new administration. The current Israeli and Palestinian conflict will be used as a testing ground for Obama’s stance.

OBAMA AND THE FUTURE President Barack Obama and his team will bring about a change. They already have by being elected and there is no one better positioned especially during bleak times, to stand up and be the shining beacon of hope. The question is: “Can he really bring about this change people are hoping for?” Some people are referring to him as a type of messiah, while others only see the colour of his skin. However his strength so far seems to be his ability to convey hope and it seems that for once we are reaching out to embrace a leader whose words, gestures and actions seem to be the collective will of all who voted for him. Is it really the dawn of a new era? It is just a matter of time now for the world to see and experience change... THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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fast track | EUROPE

Extending a helping hand to New Muslims RICHARD FAIRCLOUGH, 57, is one of the many people in South Wales who had converted to Islam, and now goes by the name Brother Abdur Rahman. Believing that many converts or New Muslims may be isolated and in need of guidance on everything from coping with negative reactions of others to simply finding Halal restaurants or grocers, Brother Abdur Rahman (a new Muslim himself ) is now extending a helping hand to others just like him to manage their transition to Islam by setting up the New Muslim Project Wales (NMPW). As an administrator for the Islamic Social Services Association in Loudoun Square, Butetown, Cardiff – and organisation that provides advocacy, mediation, chaplaincy and befriending services to Muslim communities – Brother Abdur Rahman has a great understanding of the needs of those embracing their new religion. In an article published in the Western Mail that was posted on WalesOnline, Brother Abdur Rahman said that he saw the need to help New Muslims because, “As a revert to Islam, people may have to cope with negative reactions because of the way the media often portrays Muslims as terrorists.” “As with all belief systems, you will get fanatics who interpret things badly and perhaps use religion as a justification for their actions, but that is simply not true with the vast majority of Muslims,” he added to the same press. Based on the UK-wide New Muslim Project and his own experience, the NMPW offers many services such as running a new Muslim mailing

list, providing new Muslim packs, buddy schemes, social activities as well as education and learning curriculum, that is also open to born Muslims who wants to learn more about the religion, as well as to those who have moved away from their faith but have decided to return. The new Muslim mailing list is created to update new Muslims on community events, share useful documents or websites, and acts as a way to communicate to each other. The new Muslim packs is prepared to equip new converts to Islam with the basic necessities such as a Quran, prayer mats, biographies of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h), as well as a guide to prayer and other essentials. The buddy scheme is a programme created based on the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) in early Islamic history when the Prophet (p.b.u.h) paired two groups of people: the Muhajiroon (emigrants) and the Ansar (helpers), who had

left their homes for the sake of Islam. The purpose of this buddy scheme is to unite the Muslim community in a Muslim minority country. The NMPW also arrange and organise social activities for new Muslims, helping them to orientate themselves within the community as well as network amongst themselves. The NMPW education and learning curriculum programme is created to help new Muslims ease into the overwhelming wealth of information upon entering Islam by arranging classes and providing learning curriculum to help them direct their selfstudy. As stated in the same article in the Western Mail on WalesOnline, Brother Abdur Rahman also said, “We (the NMPW) are not converting people. Our members are adults who have made their decision to convert and they just want to know (basic information to ease the practice of their belief such as) where their nearest mosque is;

“We (the NMPW) are not converting people. Our members are adults who have made their decision to convert and they just want to know (basic information to ease the practice of their belief such as) where their nearest mosque is; where they can buy Halal meat; or if they have to wear funny clothes – which they don’t.” where they can buy Halal meat; or if they have to wear funny clothes – which they don’t.” “We want to help people in their early years come to terms with Islam,” he added. For more information on the NMPW, contact nmp. wales@googlemail.com.

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fast track | ASIA

WHF 2009 shakes hands with Intertek

In synergy...the Cooperation Agreement was signed between Intertek and KasehDia Sdn Bhd

Networking at the signing ceremony of the Cooperation Agreement between Intertek and KasehDia Sdn Bhd in Hong Kong

THE FOURTH WORLD HALAL FORUM (WHF) continues to enjoy support from various companies stretching over many related industries across the Halal supply chain such as logistics, product manufacturers, suppliers, Islamic finance as well as other service providers. One of its early supporters since the inception of WHF in May 2006 was Intertek Group Plc. As a leading international provider of quality and safety services to a wide range of global and local industries, Intertek’s services caters to many fields: from textiles, toys, electronics, building,

industry, Intertek (since 2006) has ventured into Halal as a necessary supporting unit in the scientific aspects of the industry, providing services especially for certifying bodies when auditing, as well as for manufacturers who wants to ensure Halalcompliance, in terms of raw materials and ingredients. With growing and continuous support and interest towards the global Halal industry, Intertek (for the third time since 2007) has once again agreed to support efforts by the World Halal Forum this year as an event sponsor. In support of working collaboration with Intertek,

heating, petroleum, minerals and cargo scanning to food and pharmaceuticals. Intertek provides testing, inspection and certification of products, commodities and systems, and many other services. With its expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through a network of 910 laboratories and offices in 110 countries around the world, Intertek is well-suited to conduct testing and research relevant to Halal food, in line with ensuring compliance and adherence of food manufacturers to the Halal standards. With the growth of the Halal

WHF Deputy Chairman Nordin Abdullah said, “Testing is one major area that many companies in the Halal industry needs, especially in this globalised supply chain. It is the only way to ensure quality.” “For example, the case of melamine will never be an issue if there had been proper and improved product testing, in assurance of quality standards compliance. In the case of Halal, there will not be issues of noncompliance or contamination if there is an improved Halal standard coupled with improved testing; and Intertek, with its global presence, has the facilities to offer,” he added.

��

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T H E G O V E R N M E N T O F S A R AWA K I S T H E P R O U D H O S T O F THE TWO MAJOR WORLD CLASS EVENTS

THE STRATEGIC RICE AND FOOD SECURITY CONFERENCE INVESTMEN T AND HALAL INDUSTRIAL ZONE DEVELOPMEN T

UNFORESEEN CHALLENGE IN GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY

AUGUST 2009 S A R AWA K C O N V E N T I O N C E N T R E • K U C H I N G , S A R AWA K • M A L AY S I A

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fast track | ASIA

Halal skincare range specially formulated for the people of the world

MALAYSIANS OF ALL RACES can now rejoice and stand proud to have a safe and made in Malaysia skincare range specially formulated for the urban lifestyle – thanks to the birth of Jerneh by Sheila Majid which was launched on 7th January 2009 by Dato’ Hajjah Sheila Majid in Kuala Lumpur. Jerneh by Sheila Majid was conceived, formulated and produced based on Dato’ Hajjah Sheila Majid’s four principal requirements – SAFE, SIMPLE, HALAL and EFFECTIVE. Targeted primarily for working professionals, the skincare offers simple steps – a much welcomed innovation to urbanites. Jerneh by Sheila Majid has a high percentage of natural plant actives without the use of dangerous chemicals such as parabens, benzoate, sodium laurel sulphate, hydroquinone or many other colourings or alcohol and is suitable for all skin types due to the absence of harsh chemicals. In her speech, Dato’ Hajjah Sheila Majid said, “It took me ten long years to search for a product that is safe for my skin. I have researched the market extensively and to my horror found that some of the beauty products available are laden with harsh and dangerous chemicals. We cannot afford to be ignorant of the dangerous side-effects of these toxic chemicals. I personally know of individuals who suffered ill effects after using some of these products.” “Something must be done and together with my close friends and business partners, Faisal Ahmad Fadzil and Faridah Ahmad Fadzil who have years of experience in

manufacturing and formulation of natural based products, began formulating a skin care range based on four criteria: SAFE, SIMPLE, HALAL and EFFECTIVE,” she added. When asked why Halal was chosen as a criteria, Dato’ Hajjah Sheila said, “Halal is a concept that emphasises on hygiene and safety, and encourages wholesomeness and goodness; and the formulation of Jerneh by Sheila Majid fits Halal requirements. On top of that, as a Muslim, it is important for me to be assured that the products I put on can be safely used even during prayers, without a doubt.” Agreeing with Dato’ Hajjah Sheila, Faisal added: “We believe that Halal is suitable for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, because Halal is safe and hygienic. We are now waiting to be certified Halal by the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC).” “Halal has clearly grown into a very lucrative market, and we see it as an opportunity to promote our products to the global Halal market. For now, our target markets are Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei. We have also received inquiries from the Japanese market, and are also looking at penetrating the Middle Eastern and European markets in the near future,” said Faisal. At the launch, Dato’ Hajjah Sheila expressed her commitment to educate and empower all Malaysians, which includes her fans, friends and family to take ownership of their health and beauty by using the specially created product as part of their daily skin care regime. Jerneh by Sheila Majid is available in two ranges,

PHOTO BY RUZANNA MUHAMMAD

Twenty four years ago, Dato’ Hajjah Sheila Majid shot to fame with her very own brand of music that transcends racial barriers. Now she oﬀers her very own brand of skincare aptly called Jerneh by Sheila Majid, made in Malaysia, for Malaysians of all races and the people of the world.

“Halal is a concept that emphasises on hygiene and safety, and encourages wholesomeness and goodness; and the formulation of Jerneh by Sheila Majid fits Halal requirements.” the first of which is the Anti Aging Series to rejuvenate the skin. This range improves skin elasticity and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It is available as a complete set: Cleanser and Makeup Remover, Day Cream with SPF 15, Night Cream and 10-Day Serum retailing at RM450. The second range is the Clarifying Series to even skin tone and give a radiant glow; the complete set

includes Cleanser and Makeup Remover, Day Cream with SPF 15, Night Cream and 10-Day Serum, also priced at RM450. Jerneh by Sheila Majid products can be purchased online at www. jernehbysheilamajid.com, Dato’ Hajjah Sheila Majid’s Jentayu Spa in Damansara Heights, Malaysia, and all Tanamera Spa and retail outlets in the country.

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fast track | MIDDLE EAST

ICCI’s role in OIC’s socio-economic development The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), which is an affiliated institution to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference or the OIC, is considered as the sole organisation that represents the private sector of the Islamic countries, since 1985, when its first headquarters was established in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded from common aspirations of the Islamic countries to promote and enhance commercial and industrial cooperation among the Islamic world. WITH GROWING DEMAND for Halal from many parts of the world, it makes sense that more focus will be directed to the development of the Halal industry as a means to improve the current socio-economic state of the OIC member countries. For the ICCI, many of its goals can be applied in the promotion and development of Halal businesses in achieving socio-economic development of the 57 member states of the OIC with focus on the least developed, such as the African region. Among the significant roles it can play are: • Extend cooperation and support by diversifying range of products for trading among its members to achieve socio-economic development for Islamic countries • Develop industrial and agricultural production in Islamic countries • Remove obstacles that delayed goods and services exchange among Islamic countries and suggest required procedures for increasing exchange and cooperation among Islamic countries • Increase circulation of labour among Islamic countries and then to concentrate in recruitment of most qualified labour from the Islamic countries • Help facilitate market access for products from member countries • Open new cooperation avenues in trade, industry and agriculture by organising conferences and seminars and collaborating with international

organisations to preserve natural resources and decrease pollution in Islamic countries • Strengthen connections with international organisations such as the UN (United Nations) and its specialised institutions and international trade organisations to strengthen the role of private sectors in socio-economic development process • Encourage and support all economic initiatives and activities that are aimed for economic cooperation among the Islamic world whether in the public or private sector • Promote righteous Islamic values in trade and positive economic practices ICCI’s current President, H.E. Sheikh Saleh Kamel, has been actively involved in the Halal industry in the last two years. For example, he is now the Chairman of both the World Halal Forum and the International Halal Integrity Alliance, with hopes to encourage more Muslim participation in this industry, and to support the development of a unified Halal standard. Under his tenure, a Ten-year Work plan has been developed in line with the OIC ten-year Programme of Action of the COMCEC1. This Work Plan focuses on the challenges being faced by the Islamic world, which include low growth rate of economic development, commercial exchanges, poverty, low degree of economic cooperation, lack of updated information, and absence of a

networking mechanism and financing. In order to increase exchange of trade and joint venture investment, the ICCI has initiated several projects. One of the progresses achieved under the said Work Plan is the establishment of the International Islamic Company for Exploration of Investment Opportunities and Promotion of Intra-Trade (FORAS) to explore business and investment in the specialised sectors which provide tremendous investment opportunities. The questions remains: Will ICCI and the OIC achieve their goal of improving the socio-economic condition of the Muslim nation? Are developments and active participation in the Halal industry the solution to fix current economic conditions of the Muslim nation especially for the least developed? (Footnotes) 1 Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC)

Volys Star

Halal certified

premium cooked poultry products Turkey breakfast meat Meal components Premium charcuterie products

Volys Star nv, Oudstrijderslaan 11 - 8860 Lendelede - Belgium - Tel. + 32 51 33 50 30 - Fax + 32 51 31 48 15 - e-mail: sales.export@volysstar.be 54 THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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BUSINESS OWNERS UNION AN INVITATION TO BUSINESS OWNERS

The Business Owners Union is an exclusive club of business owners established by the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI).

“Allow me to address you as the elite of the community and the most capable of its brackets, to comprehend and grasp the word ‘ECONOMICS’; to get familiar with it and contemplate together the objective of this word in the past and in the present ages, for economics as we all know is the backbone of life; it is what determines its features and draws happiness and misery at the same time. In its shelter the means of living of nations and the style of their lives is determined, whether prosperity or distress, peace or war”. Sheikh Saleh Abdallah Kamel President, Islamic Chamber of Commerce & Industry

ME MBE RS H I P P RI V I L E GE S • Priority access to projects and companies originating from ICCI • Fee exemption for ICCI’s annual meeting in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Madina Al-Munawwarah and elsewhere or at any ICCI activities • The priority of promotion of a member’s projects and initiatives among other Union members after assessment of economic viability • The priority for any bids within ICCI and OIC

• VIP reception by ICCI and assistance in all necessary procedures and authentication of documents related to establishment of any projects or commercial exchange within the OIC member countries, • Annual subscription to the summary of researches and studies prepared by ICCI and a 30% discount for the full version of the reports

Business Owners Union aims to further encourage intra-OIC trade and investment and sharing of evaluated projects within the OIC member nations. Membership fee is USD2,000 per year. Online application form is accessible at www.halaljournal.com/bou. Alternatively, kindly email to bou@kasehdia.com for more information.

change through business A Programme of Islamic Chamber of Commerce & Industry

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country in focus The lush tropical landscape right oﬀ the coast of Africa depicts a fantasy island of adventure. Madagascar, being the world’s fourth biggest island, is a land steeped in rich cultures, mystery and history. Most of us have already been exposed to the lovable lemurs from the cartoon franchise “Madagascar” as well as the graphically depicted natural scenery of the country.

MADAGASCAR

Words By PUYA B.E.

A Fantasy Island of Adventure

ue to the countries prolonged isolation from human habitation, over 75 per cent of the flora and fauna found are unique to the country and cannot be found anywhere else on earth. Just 250km off the coast of Africa, previously a colony of France, Madagascar attained its independence in 1960. Since independence, Madagascar was under a single party rule, whose policies revolved around national-socialism and therefore highly centralised in nature. The official language is Malagasy, although French is still spoken among the upper echelon of the “Malagasy” society. After a few years of political infighting in the Seventies, economic turmoil in the Eighties, constitutional amendments and military interventions in the Nineties, and revolts, Madagascar is now firmly set on the road to development under the leadership of President Ravalomanana. The country is still highly undeveloped, with the main flow of income coming from the agriculture and tourism sector. The government, with support from the

World Bank and other countries, has set in motion plans and projects to develop Madagascar’s infantile industries as well as identify and expose reservoirs of natural resources. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCENARIOS Since the country’s independence, Madagascar had always aligned itself to the countries in the Warsaw pact, therefore limiting itself to becoming more of an agriculture economy. The country is divided into ethnic, tribal and religious lines which during times of unrest became major problems. Half of the 18 million populations in Madagascar practice their own unique religion

of ancestral worship, 45 per cent are Christians and the rest are Muslims. After several incidences, the constitution was amended and the free market and democracy slowly started to seep in. In 2006, freemarket reforms were introduced and welcomed by donors and investors from all around the world, international aid increased and foreign debt was cancelled. The poverty rate in Madagascar has always been very high. In 2007, the World Bank estimated that 70 per cent of Malagasy live on less than USD1 per day. Poverty and the competition for agricultural land have put pressure on the island’s dwindling forests, home to much of Madagascar’s

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unique wildlife and key to its emerging tourist industry. Since 2002, the government of Madagascar has aligned itself towards eliminating poverty and building the economy with the Madagascar Action Plan proposed by President Ravalomanana. It aims to cut poverty levels by 50 per cent over five years, spurred by the private sector as the primary engine of economic growth. Better incentives and international relations play a key role in foreign aid and investment.

investments in hotels and other tourist facilities are also being built in order for the industry to expand.

NATURAL RESOURCES AND INDUSTRIES Out of all Madagascar’s agricultural exports – which include, coffee, cocoa and sugar cane – the supply of vanilla plays a vital role in the country’s economic well-being as Madagascar is the world’s largest supplier of vanilla. Madagascar is very open to foreign investments and has established a system of Export Processing Zones (EPZ), through which qualifying export firms can gain significant tax advantages. The country still suffers a high poverty rate, which allows international investors to take full advantage of the lower costs of labour. However logistics, especially the bad condition and coverage of roads tend to balance the advantages brought about by the low cost of labour.

MUSLIMS IN MADAGASCAR Due to Madagascar’s previous socialist regime, religion did not really play much of a significant role in the social development of the country, until its constitutional amendments in the Nineties. Islam arrived in Madagascar in the 11th and 12th century by Arab navigators and this is predominantly noticeable in Malagasy customs. Before the French influence, the characters used in writings were Arabic characters, and until today, the Malagasy has a sacred book called ‘Sorabe’ which is formed of Arabic writings and supplications. In the south-east where Muslim influence is highest, the number of

Oil and natural gas reserves along with commercially significant reserves of several minerals, including chromite, graphite, nickel, mica, ilmenite, gold and significant quantities of various precious and semiprecious stones have been identified in the country and numerous international companies are in the midst of negotiating for drilling and exploratory licenses. The discovery of important deposits of sapphires in the north and southwest of the country has attracted many foreign investors from the United States, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Israel and Europe. Potential investors in Madagascar must be aware of the country’s unique, but critically endangered environment. Some investment projects require environmental impact assessments prior to approval. Madagascar’s rich biodiversity and high level of endemism is the basis for development of the ecotourism industry in places like Ankarana and Isalo. Major

mosques in the country has increased from 10 to 50. Several tribes in the region have re-embraced the religion; the most notable being the Anteimour tribe’s en-mass conversion of 17,500 people. There are currently 1.5 million Muslims in Madagascar with the Anteimour tribe mostly located on the coastal area in the South East, the Sakalava tribe in the North West, and the Antakarana tribe in the North. Although Madagascar lacks a Halal system and guideline, there is an increased demand for Halal foods and services that comes hand in hand with its growing Muslim population. The Institut de Theologie Islamique

de Madagascar (ITIMA) is the only local organisation with a dedicated department for consumer-based Halal counselling with links to other Halal certifying bodies in Madagascar. Apart from lacking a Halal system, another concern is the lack of hygiene practices when it comes to meat handling. Although there are increasing interest in meat exports by the Malagasy, Madagascar has yet to fulfil the requirements of international hygiene standards as well as overcome issues concerning logistics. However, in terms of Halal, Madagascar’s recent participation in Halal-related conferences and forums is a testimony of the growing Halal market in the country. CONCLUSION Madagascar is perceived from a dualist perspective from the outside.

On one hand it is seen as a haven for jaded investors looking into markets with high growth potential. On the other hand, the country is seen as a treasure trove of the earth’s flora and fauna, and development is perceived as a threat to the preservation of the earth’s heritage. A lush and beautiful country with diverse traditions and large deposits of natural resources, Madagascar needs to have a carefully cultivated and planned road to development. The potential for growth in all its industries is tremendous, but the country’s administration needs to build the social foundation unifying the country’s diverse people into hj a paved path of progress. THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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islamic finance

Takaful:

The Spiritual Dimension Words By DR. MOHAMAD AKRAM LALDIN

Malaysian takaful industry begins with the emergence of the Takaful Act 1984. This act, which is the first in the world, also signifies the beginning of a new area in insurance industry that sees the introduction of a new concept in takaful which is completely different from the conventional concept.

his is envisioned in the definition of takaful in Takaful Act 1984, articulating takaful as: “A scheme based on brotherhood, solidarity and mutual assistance which provides for mutual financial aid and assistance to the participants in case of need whereby the participants mutually agree to contribute for the purpose”. This definition demarcates clearly the difference between takaful and conventional insurance since the main objective of takaful is to provide mutual protection and assistance between the participants and is based solely on the notion of sharing and spreading

the risk among the participants and bearing them together. In recent times, the takaful industry has seen encouraging developments not only in Malaysia but also in other parts of the world. Many operators are offering takaful products to different segments of the society and the industry has also seen a variety of products being developed by the industry, thanks to the innovation of the market practitioners and Shariah scholars in coming up with many brilliant ideas

for the betterment of the industry. In our enthusiasm to develop a vibrant, resilient and competitive takaful industry, one point that must always be in mind is that the objective of the takaful industry is different from the conventional insurance industry. In the takaful industry the aim is spiritual as much as the materials dimension is concerned. In the conventional wisdom, innovation will usually be limited to fulfilling customer’s

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islamic finance

“In my view insurance against hazards can be modified in a manner which would bring it closer to the Islamic principle by means of a contract of donation with a condition of compensation. “

material or worldly needs such as lower prices, higher returns, faster delivery, wider scope, and so on. Spiritual needs, which can be more important to certain customers, do not seem to get sufficient attention in the conventional insurance as they have set different objectives compared to takaful. The fact that takaful is lawful in Islam is based on the notion that it is built on the foundation of mutual assistance based on the contract of Tabarru’ or donation.

which encourages Muslims to help each other, such as the following:

Yusuf Al-Qardawi, in his book “The Lawful and The Prohibited in Islam”, endorses such notion when he said: “In my view insurance against hazards can be modified in a manner which would bring it closer to the Islamic principle by means of a contract of donation with a condition of compensation. The insured would donate his payments to the company with the stipulation that the company …….”

“The parable of those who spend their substance in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn: it groweth seven ears and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah giveth manifold increase to whom He pleaseth: and Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 261)

Having said that, it is observed that most takaful companies in Malaysia have in one way or another positioned their products as direct substitutes of conventional products with Shariah compliance being the basic difference. Product development initiatives appear to be confined mainly to coming up with “Shariah compliant” versions of the conventional insurance products. In other words, it is just a process to Islamise conventional insurance products. Indeed, the fact that premiums are paid into the takaful fund on the basis of donation (Tabarru’) is a fundamental strength of takaful. If this concept were to be highlighted and understood by the participants, many Muslim and even non-Muslim customers would be delighted to know that their contributions will be used to help other participants who have suffered a loss as defined in the takaful contract. For the faithful Muslim customers especially, they can derive additional satisfaction from the belief that their contributions (if made with sincerity) will be rewarded and be considered as Ibadah. This is very much in line with many verses of the Holy Quran and Hadith

“Help one another in furthering virtue and Godconsciousness (taqwa), and do not help one another in furthering evil and enmity.” (Surah Al-Maidah, verse 2)

“Verily a believer is one who can give security and protection to the life and property of mankind”. (Hadith reported by Ibnu Majah) “By Allah in Whose power I am under, one will not enter paradise unless he provides protection to a neighbour in difficulty”. (Hadith reported by Ahmad) Perhaps the other dimension of the Tabbaru’ concept is the sense of ownership of takaful scheme participants towards the fund donated by them. Being a part owner of the fund, the participant’s attitude when making a claim would be different from their counterparts in conventional insurance. This is because they

will have the feeling that if any fraudulent is involved, it will affect their collective fund and this will be able to change the attitude of participants in making their claim. Additionally, participants who do not claim from the takaful fund will not feel that they are losing anything. This is because of the Tabbaru’ concept, which as mentioned earlier envisage the notion of helping each other and participants are not buying a promise that may or may not materialise (as is the case in conventional insurance) but contributes in the spirit of Tabarru’. Even if no claim occurs, there should not be that sense of being short-changed. This is because participants would get the satisfaction of having helped another member and at the same time be thankful that no loss has befallen them. Given the right perspective of takaful, not only can it benefit a person if a calamity befalls him in this world, but it can also benefit the person after his death. As an example a participant can request that the proceeds from takaful to be used in order to settle any outstanding debt or Zakat. The proceeds can also be used for other charitable purposes such as Waqf, Sadaqah, and so on, for the benefit of the deceased. As for the nonMuslim participants, the proceeds can be channelled to whatever means that will benefit particularly the family of the deceased. These are some of the points related to the spiritual dimension of takaful and it really need the concerted effort of everyone to ensure that such noble dimension are communicated to takaful participants, be them Muslims or otherwise. The absence of a true understanding will hamper the effort towards achieving the hj spiritual dimension of takaful.

Note: Dr. Mohamad Akram Laldin is the Executive Director of International Shari’ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA) and a Member of Bank Negara Malaysia Shari’ah Advisory Council

60 THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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Islamic finance update

COMPILED BY ZAAHIRA MUHAMMAD

MAR+APR 09 RLPC-BORSE DUBAI LAUNCHES USD2.5 BILLION REFI LOAN-SOURCES State-run Borse Dubai has launched syndication of a USD2.5 billion loan that will refinance the company’s USD3.78 billion loan agreed in March 2008 to back its acquisition of Nordic exchanges group OMX, said banking sources close to the deal. HSBC is coordinating the one-year deal, which includes a one-year extension option. The margin is 325 basis points (bps) over LIBOR, with an additional fee of 75 bps if the borrower opts to extend. Banks are invited to commit USD100 million for an upfront fee of 105 bps, USD75 million for 90 bps, USD50 million for 70 bps, or USD30 million for 55 bps. Lenders are invited to commit in dirhams, euros or dollars and talks are going on to include an Islamic tranche, all of which widens the pool of liquidity, one of the bankers said. |SOURCE: UK.REUTERS.COM, 13 JANUARY 2009

LIQUIDITY MANAGEMENT AVAILABLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS A SERVICE Contracted liquidity in global credit markets and banking systems is one of the key contributors to the current crisis facing the global financial services sector. In the Middle East, banks and financial institutions are now under tremendous pressure to tighten their financial belts. This means that IT spending and priorities are coming into focus. In this scenario, Software as a Service (SaaS) is emerging as the definitive IT model for many financial institutions as they strive to lower operational costs to ensure a high return on investment (ROI). Agile Financial Technologies, a Dubai-based SaaS provider, offers strategic software solutions developed specially for Insurance Management, Liquidity Management and Investment Management. With back office services set up in SAIF Zone and a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company in Dubai Outsource Zone, Agile’s strategic intent is to serve

enterprises in the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services or Insurance) sector delivering a combination of products and outsourcing services that allow its clients to focus on their core business. |SOURCE: BI-ME.COM, 13 JANUARY 2009

GLOBAL SUKUK SECTOR TAKE 2008 HIT; MARKET SET TO WORSEN The global market for primary Islamic bonds, or Sukuk, has become the latest victim of the global financial crisis, shrinking by more than half to USD15.2 billion last year, according to a recent study. The value of Islamic bonds, or Sukuk, issued in 2008 fell 55 per cent, from USD33.35 billion a year earlier, according to data compiled by Zawya.com’s Sukuk monitoring service. Bond activity came to a standstill in the second half of 2008 as the global credit crunch crimped appetites for financing, bankers said. The industry has been a key driver of the growth in financial services in the region. Many potential issuers have postponed Sukuk sales in expectation the market will improve. But bankers say that a quick recovery in the bond market, conventional and Islamic, is unlikely to happen in the first half of this year. |SOURCE: GULF-TIMES.COM, 14 JANUARY 2009

ABU DHABI NATIONAL ISLAMIC FINANCE ARRANGES AED334 MILLION FOR SINOGULF COMMERCIAL TOWER IN CAPITAL CENTRE Abu Dhabi National Islamic Finance (ADNIF), the Islamic banking division of National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), recently arranged an AED334 million facility for SinoGulf Investments’ commercial tower project in Capital Centre. C.18 is the largest plot within the Capital Centre development designated for commercial and retail use. The project commenced in Q1-2008 and shall be completed in Q4-2010. Positioned as a Grade ‘A’ product with four levels of basement parking, two levels of podium parking and 12 lifts for a 25storey building, the tower is designed to cater to international

and local blue-chip companies. |SOURCE: ZAWYA.COM, 10 JANUARY 2009

BAHRAIN ISLAMIC BANK LAUNCHES FIRST DRIVE-IN ATM Abdul Rahman Mohamed Turki, General Manager Retail Banking Services in Bahrain Islamic Bank said the Bank is continuing his strategy for development of its services and products to its customers. The statement came in the wake of operating the Bank’s first drivein Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) at the Muharraq Club Fuelling Station, in Muharraq. Abdul Rahman added: “This step comes as part of the Bank’s efforts to expand its ATM network throughout the Kingdom. We have launched the first drivein ATM in Muharraq to serve a large number of our customers in the surrounding areas.” BIsB Retail Banking Service General Manager added the Bank will shortly operate a number of drive-in ATMs throughout Bahrain’s areas as part of the Bank’s expansion plan. |SOURCE: ZAWYA.COM, 2 JANUARY 2009

DUBAI LAUNCHES ISLAMIC COMMODITY HEDGE FUND INDEX The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority (DMCC) governmental agency and asset manager Shariah Capital launched an index tracking the performance of Islamic hedge funds investing in commodities on Wednesday. The Dubai Shariah Hedge Fund Index is the first to monitor the performance of hedge funds that comply with Islamic law, or Shariah, and aims to provide a benchmark for investors, DMCC and Shariah Capital said in a statement. The index performance will be calculated and reported by Thomson Reuters. |SOURCE: FORBES.COM, 7 JANUARY 2009

HALAL BANKING REVOLUTION GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH The last month has seen a further deterioration in the UK economy with a deepening recession, banking bail-outs and big-name retailers going bust. However, one sector of the market still active is Islamic Finance

which is now both cheaper and more accessible. Most recently, Alburaq, the UK’s most innovative Islamic ‘mortgage’ provider, has responded to interest-rate cuts by improving its range of Shariah-compliant Home Purchase Plans. “Our new product range means our new customers now have products priced from the equivalent of 5.49 per cent on their home finance,” explains Keith Leach, Head of Alburaq. He continues: ‘The new year could bring even lower rates for our customers. If rates continue to fall as predicted, from March 2009 many of our customers could be paying a rate equivalent to 4.5 per cent or less. |SOURCE: PR-INSIDE.COM, 28 DECEMBER 2008

ISLAMIC BANKING LIKELY TO GROW TWO-FOLD IN 2009 The expansion of Islamic Banking networks continue in spite of the global economic slowdown and it is likely that the network growth will reach double of its present size during the year 2009. President Bank Islami Pakistan, Hasan Bilgrami pointed out during a media briefing here Wednesday that the growth rate of Islamic banking is on the rise at a rapid pace and that his bank is also on the same track. He said the current economic crisis did not affect his bank as it had no stake in the stock market or in the real estate market. |SOURCE: THENEWS.COM. PK, 31 DECEMBER 2008

TAKAFUL IKHLAS WINS BRANDLAUREATE-SME CHAPTER AWARD 2008 Takaful Ikhlas Sdn Bhd, provider of financial protection guided by Islamic principles and values, has won “The BrandLaureate - SMEs Chapter Award 2008. The company, into its sixth year of operations, clinched the award For “Best Brands in Product Branding, Consumer - Healthcare Insurance. Takaful Ikhlas has more than 5,000 agents with branches in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Baharu, Sungai Petani, Johor Baharu, Kuching, Melaka, Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Ipoh and Putrajaya. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of

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Islamic finance update

MNRB Holdings Bhd. Permodalan Nasional Bhd, the country’s biggest fund manager, is the major shareholder of MNRB which is listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd. |SOURCE: BERNAMA, 9 JANUARY 2009

ISLAMIC FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS UNSCATHED DESPITE ECONOMIC TURMOIL Islamic financial institutions have survived unscathed amid the economic turmoil in the conventional financial instruments and practices, says the founder of Yayasan MENDAKI, Sidek Saniff. “The primary reason for this is that our acts are in accordance with the teachings in both the AlQuran and the Hadith as taught by the Prophet,” he said when tabling a working paper at the Third Islamic Economic Congress. Sidek said this should strengthen the Islamic financial institutions, including Islamic banking and Islamic investments, and the general employment of technologies to support Islamic economic activities. He noted that the world had experienced socialism and capitalism and should consider shifting to the Islamic Economic System. Yayasan MENDAKI, Council for the Education of Islamic Children, Singapore, is a selfhelp group in Singapore that is dedicated to the empowerment of the disadvantaged through excellence in education. The foundation was set up by the Malay/Muslim community leaders in partnership with the Singapore government. |SOURCE: BERNAMA, 14 JANUARY 2009

GBCORP WINS TOP ISLAMIC BANKING AWARD Bahrain-based Global Banking Corporation (GBCORP) has been honoured with the Islamic banking and finance ‘Best New Bank’ award by CPI Financial. “This award is a reaffirmation and recognition of our business strategies,” GBCORP head of investment banking Ahmed Al Khan said. “Since its inception, GBCORP has focused on human capital as its greatest strength, advocating and adopting a

pragmatic policy that encourages innovation and facilitates global investment opportunities through building partnerships for mutual development. “We are extremely honoured to receive this award and believe it is a testament to the expertise of our multinational team with experience in diverse product portfolios and a determination to make a difference,” he said. The award was presented to GBCORP at a ceremony held at the Godolphin Ballroom, Emirates Towers in Dubai. |SOURCE: GULF-DAILY-NEWS. COM, 15 JANUARY 2009

shareholder base and knowledgeable and experienced management team. This is based on the company’s extremely strong capital adequacy as measured by S&P Services’ risk-based capital model, low reliance on retrocession and competent reserving practices. The stable outlook on TRL reflects S&P expectation that the company will continue to be supported by its shareholders, enabling the company’s competitive position within the Retakaful segment to grow. S&P expects Takaful Re’s business flow prospectively to strengthen. |SOURCE: ZAWYA.COM, 15 JANUARY 2009

SYRIA APPROVES AL BARAKA BANKING PARTNERSHIP Emirates Islamic Bank, Kuwait Syrian Holding, and two Saudi investors from the Al Rajhi family have obtained Syrian government approval to partner with Bahrain-based Albaraka Banking Group to set up Al Baraka Bank-Syria. “The bank plans to sell 35 per cent of its shares valued at USD35 million (Dh128.57 million) in an initial public offering in Syria,” said Amir Assassa, a founding member of Albaraka Bank-Syria. “The investors plan to submit required documents to the Syrian Commission on Financial Markets and Securities in 10 days and carry out the IPO at the end of the first quarter.” Assassa added in a phone interview from Damascus, “that Albaraka Banking Group will own 23 per cent in the Syrian bank, Syrian investors 16 per cent, Emirates Islamic 10 per cent and Kuwait Syrian Holding, which is partly owned by the Al Kharafi Group, five per cent.” |SOURCE: GULFNEWS.COM, 15 JANUARY 2009

TAKAFUL RE BBB STABLE RATING CONFIRMED BY S&P Standard & Poor’s (S&P) reconfirmed BBB ‘Stable’ long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings to Takaful Re Limited (TRL), a Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) based Retakaful operator. According to S&P, the rating is based on Takaful Re’s strong capitalization, supportive

DUBAI FINANCIAL MARKET DIPS ALMOST TWO PER CENT, ABU DHABI REBOUNDS The Dubai Financial Market continued its lacklustre trading form yesterday, while the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange regained territory. The DFM General Index closed 1.97 per cent lower at 1,605.53 points. Arabtec lost most (down 9.68 per cent), followed by Takaful EM (down 5.61 per cent) and the DFM (5.13 per cent lower). The DFM is the only Arab stock market which has part of its shares publicly listed. Ekttitab Finance and Investment rose by 7.32 per cent. Shuaa Capital (up 5 per cent) and investment firm GGICO (3.66 per cent higher) also gained ground. The ADX General Index (up 1.28 per cent) was lifted mainly by the Telecommunication (plus 2.36 per cent) and Energy (2.14 per cent higher) sectors. The latter performance coincides with the World Future Energy Summit which kicked off in the capital today. Sharjah cement closed as the top gainer up 9.91 per cent, while Qatar Telecom lost nearly a tenth of its value. |SOURCE: AMEINFO.COM, 19 JANUARY 2009

KSA STOCKS WITH MARGINAL GAINS, BAHRAIN AND DOHA LOSE GROUND Riyadh’s Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) closed almost unchanged (up 0.15 per cent) at 4,656 points. The transport sector had the biggest advance (gaining 1.2 per cent) while

insurance lost (3.93 per cent lower). Walaa Insurance and Malath Insurance plummeted almost 10 per cent while SABB Takaful, the Islamic insurance arm of Saudi British Bank, was down 7.16 per cent. Stock markets in Bahrain and Doha performed lower, retreating by 2.24 per cent and 1.44 per cent, respectively. Both markets suffered from losses in the banking sector. |SOURCE: AMEINFO.COM, 19 JANUARY 2009

TAKAFUL INTERNATIONAL AWARDED USD100M TENDER Bahrain’s Takaful International has been awarded a tender by the Bahraini Health Ministry worth more than USD100 million. The deal involves insuring assets and properties for four successive years, the Islamic insurer said. |SOURCE: AMEINFO.COM, 20 JANUARY 2009

ADX: FRESH START OF THE WEEK, CLOSING 2.43 PER CENT HIGHER The stock market in Abu Dhabi (ADX General Index) climbed 2.43 per cent higher due to high demand in the sectors energy (up 5.25 per cent), real estate and consumer (both segments gaining 4.66 per cent). Out of 32 stocks, only three declined and 6 finished the trading session unchanged. Energy giant Taqa (up 7.95 per cent) was among the top five gainers. Real estate developer Sorouh also convinced with a plus of 7.63 per cent. First Gulf Bank jumped 6.78 per cent higher. AD Aviation and Methaq Takaful both lost more than 9 per cent. |SOURCE: AMEINFO.COM, 25 JANUARY 2009

SAUDI TASI-INDEX 0.77 PER CENT DOWN The Saudi TASI-Index took a break from its bullish reversal, falling a minor 0.77 per cent on low volumes. SABB Takaful continued its advances from previous days, closing today up 10 per cent, followed by Saudi Industrial 9.88 per cent higher. Saudi Indian was the top loser, down 5.26 per cent, and Bupa Arabia lost 4.64 per cent. |SOURCE: AMEINFO.COM, 26 JANUARY 2009

THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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ISLAMIC FASHION TODAY

The global value of the Islamic fashion industry is yet to be known but it is definitely a multibillion dollar industry.

THE HALAL JOURNAL

LIVING

MAR+APR 2009

KRABI: NOT JUST A ROCK CLIMBING PARADISE RESTAURANT REVIEW: KABAB & QAURMA, KL BOOK REVIEW: INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC BANKING & FINANCE

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cover story

ISLAMIC FASHION TODAY

ModestyGets

Funky Words By ZAAHIRA MUHAMMAD

ISLAMIC FASHION TO A MUSLIM WOMAN IS HER IDENTITY AS A MUSLIM; IT STANDS FOR THE VALUES SHE BELIEVES IN. ISLAMIC FASHION CLOTHING HAS ALWAYS BEEN DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS AND CULTURES BUT ONE THING THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN COMMON WITH ISLAMIC FASHION IS; OF COURSE MODESTY.

n the past, Muslim women and girls were considered not as fashionable as women from other religions due to the so called limited manner of dressing. The standard perception of what was Islamic is the Burqa, the hijab, and the flowing black abayas for women. Nowadays, most Muslim women are coming out of their Burqas and adapting to the current fashion era quickly but still upholding the modest requirements of Islamic faith, in a funky fashionably modest manner, by putting together clothing from contemporary fashion to suit the requirements of their faith. The question now is: if contemporary fashion can be promoted through fashion shows and opening outlets all over the world, why can’t Islamic fashion be promoted the same way? And the fact now is: Islamic fashion is now a growing trend in the fashion industry, with more and more fashion designers designing modest clothing lines to cater for the growing Muslim population.

Fashionable young Muslim entrepreneurs are now making their own fashion statements and also taking matters in their own hands with fashionably funky modest dressing in this era when pop culture looks up to short skirts where flesh overshadows fabric. According to Nordin Abdullah, KasehDia Executive Director, “The Islamic Fashion industry has definitely grown. There has been an increase in women wearing hijab; back then, women wearing hijab were a minority, now the situation is reversed. The Islamic fashion has seen a lot more different interpretations now than before. For example, designs in Islamic fashion are now laced with cultural elements, and this localisation of Islamic fashion is and will become an interesting trend.”

In Southeast Asia, Malaysia has now taken a cultural leadership in Islamic fashion just like in Finance and the food industry, which will lead to a lot of investments into a lot of Malaysian brands and creative industry. The major challenge in the Islamic fashion industry is distribution and market access, whereby the challenges lie in creating a sustainable Islamic fashion industry. Indonesia, for example, has a very distinguished localised Islamic fashion – a combination of tunics tops and pants with very specifically designed hijabs made for convenience that are constantly modified to allow various styling when wearing hijabs. Historically, Islamic clothing for women across the Arabian Peninsula was always rich in embroidery, colour and design.

And the fact now is: Islamic fashion is now a growing trend in the fashion industry, with more and more fashion designers designing modest clothing lines to cater for the growing Muslim population.

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October 2009, Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Asia Pacific Islamic Financial Market Conference 2009 ‘Expanding Islamic Capital Market in the Global Financial Market’

Synopsis:

The conference is timely and important as the regulators and industry experts in the Asia Pacific region will evaluate the effect of the turbulence in the global financial landscape and provide their insights and expertise into how Islamic finance can move forward cohesively.

Key issues: Jointly organized by:

i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi.

Developing Muslim Economies Through Modern Islamic Finance The State of the Industry: Market Practice Regionally New Emerging Islamic Financial Market in Asia Pacific Islamic Fund Raising in Asia Pacific How Client Perceive the Islamic Capital Market The Issues and Challenges Faced by Market Participant in Undertaking Islamic Capital Market Business vii. Promoting Consolidation of Shariah Applications Worldwide – Ensuring Shariah Principle for Acceptance and Recognition of Differences are Complied With

For more information, please contact the conference secretariat at: Tel : +603 2031 1010 Fax : +603 2078 5250 E-mail : khairul.sabudin@ibfim.com

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However, this history of Islamic tribal fashion threatened to become extinct since the existence of the black abaya. Sarah Binhejaila, a Saudi who started Niyaah, the made-to-order brand, is attempting to revive the richness of Islamic clothing by creating clothing that is appealing but within the boundaries permissible by Islamic dress code. Muslim women’s clothing has moved forward in only a few years in terms of style and comfort. Now, Muslim clothing is being offered in stylish colours and forms. Even in fashion active wear and sportswear, a few companies have tickled market observers with Islamic swimwear. Aheda Zanetti, founder of Ahiida from Australia trademarked her designs as “Burqini”. Using the words ‘Bikini’ and ‘Burqa’ to describe her twopiece loose-fitting tracksuit design. Specialty fashion houses and companies are starting different ranges intended for fashion-conscious Muslim women who observe that modest dressing is part of a wider trend filling a market gap for products that complies with Shariah Law or that are simply more attractive to Muslim values as a niche that is attracting increasing numbers of retailers and manufacturers. The fact is: Islamic clothing is not only for Muslims but also for nonMuslims. Simply because it is called Islamic fashion and hijab or scarves are worn does not mean that it is for religious purposes. The essence of Islamic fashion is proper and modest dressing. Take for example the Indian Kurta; it was originally worn by Indians on a daily basis, but now every woman regardless of race and religion who dresses modestly wears an Indian Kurta. And they do, not only because an Indian Kurta is a modest garment but also because it can look very stylish. Another example of Islamic fashion transcending across religious and cultural boundaries is the use of scarves or the hijab. Audrey Hepburn, the icon of style in the Sixties used to wear scarves with no intentions of promoting religious statements whatsoever. It was pure simple fashion, and back then wearing a headscarf became a trend amongst the fashionable middle to upper class society. Sophia Kara, a British designer made a statement in Leicester, England a few years ago with her clothes line: Imaan Collections. Hooded abayas with matching niqabs and loose pants printed with elaborate English floral motif were part of her collection. This year, world-renowned designers including John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Dior, Valentino and a

“So even when the nonMuslims desire decent clothing it is obvious that there is a huge demand for them and we are able to give variations to fashion lovers of the world,” few other designers will be showing their collections at the Dubai Fashion 2009. Islamic fashion shows were held in varied locations as Leicester, England, Atlanta and Berlin. In Malaysia, the entrepreneur Raja Rezza Shah is making the concept global. Raja Rezza pioneered the event for designers in 2006 to exhibit collections specifically for the Islamic market as the director of the Islamic Fashion Festival. Started in Kuala Lumpur, then Jakarta, Raja Rezza hopes to make a presence in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and eventually in Europe and America to promote modest dressing that transcends all religious and cultural boundaries. Aside from transforming traditional outer garments like the burqa, abaya and hijab into more practical versions by using new textiles, trimmings, prints and colours, other designers are ready to start making different designs of Islamic clothing. According to The International Herald Tribune, Raja Rezza says, “Not all of the designers showing at the festival are necessarily Muslims themselves but what unites them is taking the Islamic fashion business seriously.” “We believe that minimum and basic Islamic dressing begins with covering the head. The less skin and shape exposed the better. It is about women experimenting with ways to feel happy for themselves while still proudly holding on to the Islamic faith,” says Raja Rezza. In certain places such as North

America, the majority of Muslim women who self-identifies themselves as Muslim do not wear the hijab but they will also never be seen in a revealing short skirt or belly-baring top. Designers should understand this in order to capture the budding Muslim market. The fashion industry does not target the Muslim market when the Muslim market is actually massive. “ The global value of the Islamic fashion industry is yet to be known but it is definitely a multibillion dollar industry; assuming that the world’s 1.8 billion Muslim population spends USD100 a year on modest and virtuous fashion, the global Islamic fashion market is conservatively estimated to be worth USD200 billion,” Nordin affirms. Datin Melor Wati Darus, the designer and owner of Melor’s Apparel, cannot agree more: “The potential of Islamic fashion in the general fashion industry is undeniably huge. As a designer, I tend to get very exposed with the latest trends when I travel to fashion capitals of the world such as the Middle East and Europe.” “You can see that there is potential because even though the wearer is a non-Muslim, they still want to wear decent clothing. So even when the non-Muslims desire decent clothing it is obvious that there is a huge demand for them and we are able to give variations to fashion lovers of the world,” added Datin Melor. Some people defines Islamic fashion as loose fitting clothing that covers everything except the hands, face and sometimes the feet. Although people’s view of modesty varies, Muslim women has to remember that despite all the trends and fashion that are available today: “Islam makes it Haram for women to wear clothes which fail to cover the body and which are transparent, revealing what is underneath. It is likewise Haram to wear tightly fitting clothes which define the parts of the body, especially those parts which are sexually attractive,” as stated by the imminent Muslim scholar, Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, in his book ‘The Lawful and The Prohibited in Islam’. That alone should be a great reminder that Islamic fashion should follow these guidelines. It could be sophisticated, funky or cool fashion just as long as it follows the teachings of Islam. As Muslim women, they should guard their modesty by dressing themselves decently, and dressing decently not only promotes modest garments but also promotes respect towards women. After all, Islamic fashion is all about promoting modesty and virtuosity, hj albeit in a cool and funky manner.

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journey A boat operator on the scenic beach stretch of Ao Nang

One of the many islands in the surrounding waters of the Andaman Sea

Krabi It is known as a rock climber’s paradise but clearly there’s more to do in Krabi than being stuck between a rock and a hard place as Jaspal Singh discovers…

Thale Waek is famous for connecting two nearby isles during low tides

More than a rock climbing paradise

enowned for being a rock climber’s haunt due to its vast limestone cliffs, Krabi is a tropical island paradise that is cheap to travel to. Nestled in the southern province of Thailand on the Andaman Sea, Krabi is quiet, serene and considerably less commercialised than Phuket and Koh Samui. It is also famous for its surrounding beaches and being an outdoor lover’s hot spot, with many adventure trails and activities lined up to challenge any adrenaline junkie. But do not be fooled into thinking that the only thing to do is adventure trekking here, because Krabi, much like the rest of the kingdom of

Thailand, also has plenty to offer. Not least a good dosage of sun, sea and surf. ISLAND HOP If you had your fill of Krabi town and Ao Nang district, then perhaps it is time to head away from dry land and visit a few of the popular islands in the surrounding waters of Krabi. Opt for the four-island tour, which will take you to Phranang Beach, Chicken, Poda and Tub islands where pristine beaches and snorkelling awaits you. If time permits pay a visit to Phi Phi but be prepared for a full day excursion for this one. Trips can be booked via agencies or if you are in need of privacy make your own booking with one of the many

boat operators at the jetty at Ao Nang. Charges vary depending on the type of boat with the local long tail boat having the distinct advantage of being relatively cheaper and easier to charter. Four island tour via speedboat starts from 1,000 Baht per person. For more information, log on to www.seetho.com. THE SIGHTS If you are up for a little culture, pay a visit to Tiger Cave. A temple nestled in Krabi’s forest reserve, Tiger Cave boasts nature trails which lead to shrines set in caves as well as steps (all 1,237 of them), which leads to the mountaintop statue of Buddha and not to mention a breathtaking view of Krabi.

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Travel Note

A typical Krabi sunset

Stay at the Alis Hotel 125 Moo 3, Ao Nang Krabi 81000 (+66 75 838000). The boutique hotel has 34 tastefully designed rooms and is just a short distance away from the main road of Ao Nang, so you are guaranteed some peace and quiet. The spa is located on the top floor of the hotel, just one floor up from the infinity pool where you can catch Krabi’s sunset every evening.

SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS IN KRABI Sala Thai On the beach, with good, fresh seafood, located at the very end of the wooden ‘Seafood Soi’ at the far corner of Ao Nang beachfront. Location: 32 Moo 2, Ao Nang. Contact: +66 (0) 7 563 7024.

Don’t miss a traditional Thai massage. There is nothing better than ending a rough day of walking and sightseeing than unwinding with a Thai massage. Sure enough the masseuse will bend you like an accordion with moves normally reserved for a pro-wrestler but there is just something about a Thai massage that leaves you feeling a lot fresher after a session. Best yet, Ao Nang is just laden with these massage parlours. Charges for a full body Thai massage begin at 300 Baht an hour. Fight Club... The national sport of Thailand has its place in Krabi too, with several events lined up to attract tourists and locals alike. The Ao Nang Krabi Stadium in Nopparat Thara puts on regular small scale Muay Thai bouts every Friday night. Make no mistake though, as these fights are real and not just a glammed up event to get into the tourism coffers. Tickets per event costs 600 – 1,000 Baht which is reasonable as you get 5 to 6 bouts on the card per evening.

Laem Sak Seafood Off the beaten track, but worth the detour if you are driving around the area, it is considered to be the best in the province. Location: at the end of Route 4039, past Ao Luk.

A picturesque view of Ao Railay West Beach

Lanta Seafood Excellent choice of fish, direct from the fishermen on the pier in Saladan Village, this restaurant is frequented by locals. Chao Koh Restaurant This restaurant is a popular spot overlooking Ton Sai Bay, with regular BBQ specials. Location: Phi Phi Don. 157 Moo 7, Phi Phi Island. Contact: +66 (0) 7 560 1083.

Transport... Getting around Krabi is relatively easy with numerous motorcycle ‘tuk-tuks’ at your beck and call. Fees start from 40 Baht. Alternatively, you can also opt to rent your own motorbike from one of the many vendors located within the Ao Nang district. Rental for motorbikes start from 375 Baht per day, minus fuel, naturally.

Malati A high end Indian Restaurant housed within the confines of the Sheraton Krabi Beach Resort on Klong Muang Beach, it boasts Indian cuisine mixed with some Thai influences as well. Location: Klong Muang Beach, Krabi. Contact: +66 (0) 7 562 8000

AirAsia flies direct to Krabi, Thailand daily. Lowest fare and hotel rooms are also available online at www.AirAsia.com.

offer daily sea kayak tours and they are ideal for exploring the many small islands that house caves and lagoons within them. Strong arms and upper body strength are a handy prerequisite.

A rock climber’s paradise owing to its many limestone cliffs

EXCURSIONS Sun, sea and surf aside, Krabi is the place you go to enjoy the great outdoors. Rock climbing ranks high in this part of the world with over 600 bolted and climbable routes embedded in the many flat limestone cliffs and rock formations for both beginners and experts located throughout the island. If climbing is not your thing, then do look into the deep blue sea for some key activities that Krabi is famous for. Offering some spectacular dive sites, Krabi is renowned for reef and wreck diving sites in the surrounding waters of the Andaman Sea. Don’t dive? You can opt for sea kayaking to keep you occupied. Operators

EATING IN KRABI The main tourist area of Ao Nang boasts several Muslim-owned restaurants. Along the beachfront you can find a few Halal eateries such as Ruen Preutsa in Somkiet Buri Resort, which serves excellent Thai Muslim food, as well as seafood dishes. Another good hotel restaurant is the White Orchid located in the Ao Nang Princeville Resort. Thai cuisine in Krabi stems from the South so some of the must try dishes include massaman, a fragrant saffron-coloured curry with peanuts and sweet potatoes; the hot and sour kaeng som, fish in a tamarind-laced broth; the lightly-spiced noodle dish, khanom jin; and the Thai-Muslim version hj of a chicken briyani, khao mok gai. THE HALAL JOURNAL LIVING | MAR+APR 2009

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COMPILED BY ZAAHIRA MUHAMMAD

Restaurant + Foodservice

The Humble Kabab & Qaurma Restaurant

“There is a legend that the old Nawab of Kakori lost his teeth at the ripe old age of 75, but he still retained his zest for good kabab. His cooks went into a huddle with the hakims and what emerged was the Kakori Kabab – a version of the seekh that simply melts in your mouth.” The same zest, passion and effort is felt and tasted at Kabab & Qaurma Restaurant on Jalan Yap Kwan Seng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A fully non-smoking restaurant, this exceptionally warm and intimate restaurant is run by a Muslim husband and wife team. “In our restaurant, no two dishes have the same flavour,” said a very soft spoken Kaneez Narjis Raza, who is also the head chef. Kaneez originates from Pakistan, where she was truly born and bred; she misses her beautiful country and conveys to us the beauty of her home through the food she makes. Kabab & Qaurma’s meals are all made with healthy eating in mind: the best oil is used and used very minimally. With choices of the spicy briyani or the milder pulao, you

will find several dishes to come back for. For starters, it is best to open up the appetite with the kababs, naturally. A popular dish is the Shaami Kabab, which is minced mutton stuffed with chopped onions and coriander, made into patties and then pan fried. Or, you can opt for the chef’s personal favourite, the Burra Kabab, which is made of mutton marinated in yoghurt and tamarind and then grilled. Once you have warmed up, a suggested next course is the Kadhai Jingha – prawns cooked with onion, tomato and capsicum in the chef’s special spices. This dish is considered an expensive treat and delicacy amongst Pakistanis because prawns are a rare find and treated like gold if you come across them in Pakistan. Murgh Makani is a popular choice for those who love their tandoori chicken, a dish cooked in lightly flavoured tomato gravy and spiced with fenugreek. Personally, I would recommend the Nahari, a special dish made of mutton shank and marrow cooked overnight on a slow

By Lilyana Aziz

fire with aromatic spices. The Nahari is a very popular dish from Lahore to Lucknow, and the taste is like no other. The distinct flavour of the Nahari cannot be compared to any curries and dahl found elsewhere. Last but not forgotten are vegetables, which were given their respect and introduced into the festive meal times only when the Hindu Mansabdars from Gujerat and Central India joined the Mughal courts. Vegetable lovers will enjoy the Khata Meeta Dahl – yellow Arhar lentils cooked in tamarind sauce – or the ever common and favourite amongst the locals, Mattha Aloo – potatoes cooked in yoghurt and spices. Bread is an essential accompaniment with every meal. Kabab & Qaurma’s specialty would be their Sheer Mal, which is popular in Lucknow and recommended for eating with kabab. For a sweet closing, order the Mango Kulfi or the Saffron Kulfi. These are intensely delicious Indian ice creams made from fresh mangoes or romantically flavoured with saffron, respectively.

Kabab & Qaurma also offers catering services for private functions and home delivery services. For catering or delivery services, contact the restaurant at +603 2163 7644 or +603 2163 7706.

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BOOK TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC BANKING AND FINANCE

Author: Brian Kettell Publisher: Brian Kettell ISBN: 978-0-9558351-0-0

Introduction to Islamic Banking & Finance by Brian Kettell is a comprehensive and detailed book for banking professionals as well

BOOK TITLE: THE MESSENGERS OF MERCY SERIES: THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD SAW SERIES

Author: Ayesha Abdullah Scott Publisher: Future Text Publications ISBN: 978-967-5071-39-3 (Set)

The Prophet Muhammad SAW series which consists of 100 books, tells the story of the greatest man ever to live, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). These stories are told in detail by a Muslim convert, Hajjah Ayesha Abdullah Scott who has been writing at a young age and also very devoted in spreading the message of Islam. Drawn from traditional sources and carefully researched, these books will inspire both believers

Music as others who wants to know and understand where Islamic Banking comes from, the major components of Shariah compliant banking and finance, as well as the philosophies behind Islamic Banking. In this book, the author explains the fundamental points of convergence and divergence between Shari’ah compliant finance and mainstream interest-based finance in a direct, concise and easy to comprehend manner. Although it is written by an economic advisor who worked for the Central Bank of Bahrain, it is absolutely suitable for readers who are not familiar with Islamic Banking and Finance jargons, and is definitely a recommendable read for all those interested in understanding this industry better. The author is currently based in London and works as a specialist Trainer and Consultant in Islamic Banking and Finance, and is contactable via email at brian. kettell@islamicbankingcourses.com.

and non-believers of Islam. These books are part of a series of 360 titles called the Messengers of Mercy Series, telling the life stories of major Prophets from Prophet Adam a.s to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). These educational books are made based on two reasons; firstly, is to introduce the beauty of Islam and the religion of God to Muslim and non-Muslim youths alike; secondly, to rekindle interest in the wonders and beauty of Islam: its lifestyle, architecture, literature and art. These books are highly recommendable for children as they are written in a concise and simple manner, and are suitable for educating children about Islam, during the early stages of their lives.

SEVEN8SIX

Shahaab Quraishi, Zafar Razzacki, Muhammad Saadullah (better known as Saad), Omar Razzacki and Muhammad Saeedullah (better known as Saeed) are five Muslim brothers from Detroit, USA who had formed their music group called SEVEN8SIX in 2001.

Being comfortable with their Muslim and western identities, they make the most of these cultural influences in their songs. Mainly stimulated by spiritual Islamic heritage and influences from various communities they grew up with in various parts of the world; SEVEN8SIX uses this fusion to create unique Nasheeds with harmonious rhythm and blues (R&B) inspired melodies, using their talents as a tool to deliver Islamic and positive messages. Nasheeds like “Heaven’s Keys” and “Palestine” are the ones that are found to inspire Muslims around the world. With only two albums: the first released in 2003 called 786 (Self-Titled) and the second called Straight Path in 2005, it is amazing to see the number of performances they have conducted in the UK, North America, and the Middle East. SEVEN8SIX sings in English, Urdu and Arabic, and has performed at many well-known venues such as the Wembley Conference Centre in London, Birmingham’s Symphony Hall as well as London’s Royal Albert Hall. They were also invited to perform at the Global Peace and Unity event in 2006 in the UK and several other events since they first formed the group, and this proves that their art are mostly appreciated during their performances. This group of five Muslim brothers have clearly shown tremendous growth since their first performance; having been featured on MTV in Asia, as well as being featured with the famous Native Deen in a BBC documentary entitled Boyz Allowed: The New Voices. For more information on SEVEN8SIX, log on to www.seven8six.net.

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PHOTOS EXTRACTED FROM HYPERLINK WWW.SEVEN8SIX.NET.

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on display

COMPILED BY ZAAHIRA MUHAMMAD

Halal products are those that are good, pure and safe for human consumption. It ranges from food to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals to toiletries. Here are some of the products with the Halal guarantee.

PUTERI SAUCE

Puteri Sauce comes in two different flavours: Chilli and Tomato. Puteri Chilli or Tomato Sauces are made from fresh chillies or tomatoes mixed with selected ingredients and spices to give their delicious tastes. They come in three sizes: 3.3kg, 320g and 500g, and can be found in most supermarkets, sundry shops and convenience stores in Malaysia.

PREMIER SALUTE RED GRAPE DRINK

Premier Salute Red Grape Drink from Belgium is produced with premium quality ingredients. It is manufactured and packed through a sophisticated process to ensure consumers enjoy this quality sparkling non-alcoholic Halal certified drink.

SERI MURNI SAMBAL TUMIS PASTE

Seri Murni introduces the new Seri Murni Sambal Tumis Paste. This product is not only delicious but also very convenient. Just add meat, chicken or seafood and your dish is ready! Seri Murni Sambal Tumis Paste is made from natural spices with no added preservatives and colouring.

CARAMELLO KOALA

Caramello Koala is a delicious fun snack made from Australia’s favourite chocolate, Cadbury Dairy Milk® milk chocolate filled with a flowing caramel centre. This fun snack is moulded into the shape of a Koala making it unique. Certified by the Australian Halal Authority, Caramello Koala can only be found in Australia in a packaging of 20g, a giant 40g and a 40g twin pack.

SUNSWEET PITTED PRUNES

Sunsweet Pitted Prunes are juicy, sweet and delicious. Naturally sweet and tender, Sunsweet Pitted Prunes are packed with flavour and nutrition. It is the perfect choice for an active and healthy lifestyle. Sunsweet products are well known for its quality, so try this healthy snack now!

TURA BRAND KITTY’S MILK

TURA Brand Kitty’s Milk is excellent milk food for kittens and adult cats. A product of Australia, it contains all the essential nutrients that help the growth of kittens and young cats. With only two tablespoon of TURA Brand Kitty’s Milk powder mixed in warm water, you can get about 250ml of milk. The taste and freshness will become your cat’s favourite food. Not only is this product carefully prepared and packed under strict and hygienic conditions, it is also certified Halal!

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Malaysia's Official Food & Hotel Show 11 - 14 August 2009 Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia

Incorporating :

Held In Conjunction With :

Halal Food Asia 2009

CulinaireMalaysia2009

Endorsed By :

Supported By :

Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia

Malaysian Association of Hotels

Chefs Association of Malaysia

The Malaysian Food & Beverage Executives Association

Supporting Media Partners :

Official Web Partner :

Organised By :

Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

Please send me more information on exhibiting at FHM 2009. Please send me more information on visiting FHM 2009. For further information, please call / fax to : MALAYSIAN EXHIBITION SERVICES SDN BHD (58243-X) Suite 1402, 14th Floor, Plaza Permata, Jalan Kampar, Off Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel : +603 4041 0311 Fax : +603 4043 7241 E-Mail : enquiry@mesallworld.com Ref: Halal Journal

PROPAK MALAYSIA

Name : _________________________________________________________ Position : ________________________________________________________ Company : _____________________________________________________ Address : _______________________________________________________ OR ATTACH YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE ________________________________________________________________

Tel : ___________________________ Fax : ___________________________ Mobile : ________________________________________________________ E-Mail : _________________________________________________________ Website : _______________________________________________________

snapshots Guests at the WHF 2009 Media Briefing

H.E. Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel (WHF Chairman) and Jumaatun Azmi (KasehDia Managing Director) at the press conference during the WHF 2009 Media Briefing WHF 2009 Media Briefing: Cameras rolling at the press conference

Malaysia’s songstress, Dato’ Sheila Majid, at the launch of her range of Halal skincare, Jerneh By Sheila Majid

H.E. Sheikh Saleh Kamel (WHF Chairman) exchanging ‘Salaam’ with H.E. Ensar Eminovic (Ambassador-designate of Bosnia-Herzegovina to Malaysia) at the WHF 2009 Media Briefing

Zul Huzaimi (left) and Adi Putra (right), main actors of KasehDia Pictures’ first movie “Haq”, posing at the movie poster. The movie contains Islamic values, creating a new benchmark for the Malaysian film industry.

Jumaatun Azmi (KasehDia Managing Director) and C.L. Hor (Black Box Pictures Managing Director and Director of the film “Haq”) at a press conference for the movie “Haq”

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parting words The Halal industry, with its rapid growth, clearly needs an expert the likes of Dr. Hani Mansour Al-Mazeedi from the Kuwait Institute for Scientiﬁc Research, especially where Halal standards and systems is concerned. The Halal Journal managed to speak to him for a glimpse of his experience and knowledge of the industry in the last few decades.

Speaking of Knowledge and Expertise on Halal... CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH HALAL ISSUES? I was born in Kuwait on 5th March 1954 and am now working at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research for the Food Programme under the Biotechnology Department. I studied Food Processing in South Dakota State University, US, for six years since 1972. In 1979, I joined the Kuwait Municipality in Food Control for food inspection, and was able to experience the food industry and learn the nature of food in Kuwait. Of particular emphasis were meat and Halal certifications. From then on, I have developed the expertise in finding forgeries in Halal certifications and in determining what is acceptable and unacceptable in Halal certification systems. My first encounter with issues on Halal food started in Buffalo, New York, when I was 18 years old. An old man from Pakistan told me to be aware of biscuits as it may contain pork derivatives. Since then, I became more interested to study and inspect the nature of food ingredients. CAN YOU SHARE YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE ON ISLAMIC TEACHINGS? Religiously, I have been guided by Shaikh Dr. Mohammad Sulaiman Al-Asghar and Shaikh Nader Abdul Aziz Al-Nouri, whom were both working at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Kuwait. Shaikh Al-Asghar guided me on fatwa, whereas Shaikh Al-Nouri guided me on the ingenuity of Muslims. I started communicating with Islamic Centres (at that time Telex was the fastest means of communication, which has been generously provided to me by Shaikh Abdulah Ali Al-Bdul Wahab Al Mutawa or better known as Abu Bader), and was also in contact with Shaikh Ibenbaz in Saudi Arabia and Shaikh Ali Al-Harkan of the Muslim World League. WHAT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION WITH HALAL RELATED MATTERS? My first visit to an Islamic Centre actively participating in Halal meat certification was to the Australian Federation of Islamic Council (AFIC) in 1981. The people whom I have met then were Brother Amjad Mahboob and Brother Shafeek Al-Rahman Abdulah, and they have both taught me how a Halal system should be. Since then, I have propagated Halal system worldwide and I have had the honour to see it still being used in some parts of the world such as Brazil with Brother Ahmad Al-Saify and now his son Ali Ahmad Al-Saify. I have also travelled worldwide to investigate the quality of Halal systems such as in Australia, New Zealand, France, the US and Brazil, to name a few. I introduced the concept of Mashbooh (the grey area between Halal and Haram or doubtful) – a concept they did not use at the time – to the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) since 1981, which is actively involved in Halal certification. The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI)

“Muslim importing countries are also an obstacle. Although showing interest in having Halal food in their countries, they do not appear serious in obtaining Halal food.” have also asked me to put together a Halal System for their organisation and I am still in collaboration with them. In 1996, McDonald’s invited me to investigate their Halal system, and I have submitted a McHalal System for their use. I also provide consultation in food safety, namely on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and have introduced HACCP-Halal in 1993 to my students. Then I found that Muslims in the US were introducing the same, where they have added a fourth hazard that is Najasah. My teaching experience covers lectures on food safety to several agencies in Kuwait for the food industry through the Kuwait Municipality; catering company for Kuwait Aviation Services Company (KASCO); Tamween Saudi Arabia as a field study to train food inspectors in Jeddah Municipality; food inspectors in Dammam Saudi Arabia; and fourth year food engineering and veterinary students in Syria on HACCP. FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED IN HALAL-RELATED ACTIVITIES? I have noted something unusual about people who work in Halal activities: they do not observe Islamic teachings. Halal activity is

a Muslim activity and this activity requires quality Muslims who are fully committed and are devoted to Islamic teachings and practices. Other notable observations are: 1. Arguments over this activity between the Muslim communities in the West and the East. 2. Obstacles created by governments of the West and the East to evaluate good Islamic Centres and replacing them with normal Muslim individuals. Islamic centres have a good cause and they can use the money generated from Halal certification to improve the living state of the Muslim community as it can provide good working opportunities for Muslims and it will also strengthen the position of Muslim migrants in the Muslim minority countries. 3. Western and Eastern governments find this a threat and they try to replace them by individual Muslims and they have succeeded in doing this particularly in Australia and France. 4. Muslim importing countries are also an obstacle. Although showing interest in having Halal food in their countries, they do not appear serious in obtaining Halal food. Islamic Affairs in these countries are not taking this issue seriously and actively when they limit their role by only issuing fatwas and participate in official visits to countries exporting meat. The role of these ministries is to act as a regulator and verify all Halal certification (whether to approve or reject them) at the port of entries in their countries. A unified Halal system must be initiated by importing Muslim countries focusing not only on Halal food, but also other industries such as cosmetics, consumables, medicine, pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, and so on. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK? My aim is to fulfil my mission as a Muslim in the field of Halal, and I do all these for free. I have written several books in Arabic that focuses on food safety (prerequisite programmes, HACCP), Halal System, and nutrition. The titles of these books are: Concepts in food hygiene; Practical guide to food safety, and My Food. A summary of Halal works for the past 30 years (1979-2009) is also available in two volumes entitled ‘Official Documents on Food and Slaughter According to Islamic Rites’, which I have always given to government officials and committed Muslims.

Note: Dr. Hani Mansour Al-Mazeedi can be contacted at mazeedi@hotmail.com or on his mobile, +965 9749 8500.

80 THE HALAL JOURNAL | MAR+APR 2009

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