The Halal Journal - March/April 2006 by The Halal Journal

AUSTRALIA AU$6.50 • MALAYSIA RM9.90 • SINGAPORE S$5.50 • UAE DHS10 • UK £2.95

PP 13884/ 10/ 2006 | MICA (P) 135/ 12/ 2005

| kasehdia.com | www.halaljournal.com | MAR+APR 2006

REGIONAL LOGISTICS HUB A plan for Asian Halal logistics unveiled THE DEAL WITH GELATINE Diﬀerent schools of thought - YOU DECIDE

“Make Malaysia as a

MNC’S HALAL EXCELLENCE CENTRE IN MALAYSIA Nestle Group’s competitive advantage

Benchmark” Abdullah on Halal, Islamic Banking, Hikmah and more

AUSSIE HALAL The View from Down Under

LIVING: QUR’ANIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM • ‘FULLA’ THE MUSLIM BARBIE • CHILDREN OF ADAM VCD SERIES • YUSOF ISLAM CD • ROMANTIC RELATIONS IN ISLAM • DUBAI’S TOP CAFES

The World Halal Forum

“the global halal market - an industry perpsrective”

8 - 10 MAY 2006 The Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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www.halaljournal.com | ISSN 1823 1411 • PP 13884/ 10/ 2006 • MICA (P) 135/ 12/ 2005

31}

MARCH+APRIL 2006

“We must strive fullheartedly so that the Muslim society gets Halal food, drinks and other products, those that are Halal, clean, pure and of high quality.”

The Malaysian PM talks to The Halal Journal on matters close to his heart – Islam and Halal

contents 18} REGIONAL LOGISTICS HUB

A plan for Asian Halal logistics unveiled

20} HALAL JOURNAL TV HITS THE AIRWAVES

The TV version is on air and the verdict is out

24} MNC’S HALAL EXCELLENCE CENTRE IN MALAYSIA

How Nestle Global is leading the way forward

27} THE AUSTRALIAN MEAT BAN

The meat ban has just been lifted, but at what cost? We checked out the point of view from Down Under

36} THOUGHTS ON GELATINE

Where is gelatine on the spectrum of Halal and non-Halal? Here’s what the Islamic scholars have to say

41} ISLAMIC HOME LOANS

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.

Ed’s Note

I “When even the non-Muslims desire decent clothing, it is quite obvious that there is a huge demand in them.” DATIN MELOR

Regulars 08} QUIETLY SPOKEN 08} GLOBAL NEWS

Your quick reference of Halal developments around the globe

13} CALENDAR OF EVENTS 16} MATRADE NEWS

Choice companies and products from Malaysia for the world

Living 49} FEATURE

Using the concept of ‘faith’ in children’s education

n this issue we are honoured to feature the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. In our interview at his home in Putrajaya, the Prime Minister spoke with passion and enthusiasm on two matters that are close to his heart – Islam and Halal, and we are pleased to present his views to our readers. With our Halal Journal TV series getting close to the halfway mark, we are also pleased to note that we have received a lot of positive feedback from viewers from all states and all races and as well as from all parts of the Halal industry. Many thanks to everyone who contacted us. Please keep the feedback coming! There are now only a few weeks until the World Halal Forum in May, and we are not the only ones who are getting excited about this groundbreaking event. The most striking thing about the WHF is that it has received overwhelming support from right across the spectrum of the Halal industry, both from our sponsors and our presenters. If anyone needed further proof that Halal is a farm-to-fork phenomenon, they need only look at our sponsor and speakers list. From finance and investment, livestock to manufacturing, processing to packaging, freight and logistics through to retail and restaurants, taking in science, security and certification along the way - the World Halal Forum is fully representative of the Halal value chain. Halal is clearly a new market paradigm. The WHF is truly putting it on the map. Places are limited and are filling up fast. If you are reading this magazine, then you probably belong at the World Halal Forum. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

the Halal Journal team

:: the Heart of The Halal Journal ::

52} BROWSING

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.

54} ON DISPLAY

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 fo animals, ethical investment, the intrinsic value of currencies and fairness in all commercial transactions.

We checked out Barbie’s match Fulla, Yusof Islam’s music for children, an Islamic version of Sesame Street, Romantic Relations in Islam and the coolest cafes in Dubai Halal, cool and good stuﬀ currently on the shelf

56} PARTING WORDS

Is Muslimah fashion boring? We asked Datin Melor of Melor Apparel for answers

We believe that the emerging global Halal market will be one of the great market forces in the coming decades.

KASEHDIA HALAL GUIDES “The world’s first series of Halal food restaurant guides.”

The Team EDITOR

Jumaatun Azmi

Asian Wall Street Journal

WRITER

Kamarul Aznam Hj. Amir CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Salama Evans DIRECTOR, RESEARCH & INTELLIGENCE

Top 3 ‘Best Guide in the World’ for 2004 Gourmand Awards

Abdalhamid Evans CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Nori Abdullah GRAPHIC & DESIGN

M. Zailan DIRECTOR, SALES & DISTRIBUTION

Nordin Abdullah

Corporate MANAGING DIRECTOR SALES DIRECTOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR DIRECTORS

Jumaatun Azmi Nordin Abdullah Nori Abdullah Abdalhamid Evans Fareen Shazli Ali

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Quietly Spoken

GlobalNEWS

Come What May…

ome the second week of May most of the respectable players in the Halal industry will be in Kuala Lumpur either at the World Halal Forum, the Malaysian International Halal Showcase or both. They will be there for many reasons- for trade, standards development, networking or investment. Some will come with their own agendas. The international media will be hunting for stories. One thing is for sure is that everyone will be looking at Halal and the opportunity it represents. All eyes will be on the upand-coming Khairy Jamaludin, Chairman of the World Halal Forum who is responsible for much of the recent energy in the Halal arena. There will be the Prime Minister, senior minister, scientists, heads of multinationals, religious scholars, lobby groups and who knows who else will turn up. In a recent addition to the play, Islamic banking has also woken up to the fact that without a Halal economy the growth of Islamic banking will be short lived. First to the fray is CIMB Islamic. It recently recognised the need for Islamic banks to invest in the growth of the Halal sector to sustain the growth of the Islamic banking sector. So what will be achieved in May? No one is quite sure. But one thing is for certainyou put that amount of big business in a room together for long enough and the possibilities are endless. Why? Because businessmen are by definition positive and are always looking for possibilities. hj Come what may.

THE HALAL JOURNAL

Several Japanese restaurants, which are hugely popular in Singapore, recently have applied for Halal certification from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS).

k ar

SINGAPORE

JAPANESE FOOD GETS AN ISLAMIC MAKEOVER

Singapore, home of curry sushi and Hainanese chicken rice sushi, is now seeing a new trend emerging, created by Islamic rules on food preparation. Halal sushi is served by several Japanese restaurants that have become Halal to woo the minority Muslim population here and grab a piece of the Muslim market in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Several Japanese restaurants, which are hugely popular here, recently have applied for Halal certification from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), an agency of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports that advises the government on Muslim affairs. They join a growing number of restaurants here that have gone Halal to target Muslims, who account for 15 percent of the city-state’s 4 million population The total number of Halal certificates issued by MUIS had risen to 8,000 in 2005 from only 2,800 in 2000. They included 1,000 certificates issued to restaurants. For sushi to be Halal, “mirin” rice wine, a major ingredient in Japanese cuisine, must be omitted. Currently, at least five Japanese restaurants and other food outlets in Singapore have been certified Halal by MUIS. Most of them received the certification last year. | SOURCE: JAPANESE TIMES, 10/2/2006

BRUNEI

NEW HALAL ORDER TO COME INTO FORCE The Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam will implement and enforce the Halal Certificate and Halal Label Order 2005 in the country soon. The order will cover processed food, separation of food storage and business premises such as restaurants and others. The Department of Islamic Religious Council yesterday organised a talk on Halal Certificate and Halal Label Order 2005. The talk was organised in cooperation with the Islamic Legal Unit, Syariah Affairs Department, Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Attorney General’s Chambers, Prime Minister’s Office. The Halal Certificate and Halal Label Order is about the issuance of Halal Certificate and Halal Label on processed food, separation of food storage and commercial places such as restaurants and others. | SOURCE: BORNEO BULLETIN, 14/2/2006

“Thai restaurants overseas could be certified as places for consuming Halal food, adding value to the government’s ‘Kitchen to the World’ campaign”. Thailand’s acting vice-minister for commerce Suvit Maesincee.

THAILAND

EFFORT TO PROMOTE THAI HALAL FOOD INDUSTRY STEPPED UP

LE T T ERS

Thailand has the potential to be a hub for Halal food because of its high profile in the global food export industry, according to Thailand’s acting vice-minister for commerce Suvit Maesincee. Food exporters will submit white paper on promoting Thailand as a centre for Halal food production to acting commerce minister Somkid Jatusripitak. They earlier discussed a general promotion and development plan with the ministry. Mr Suvit said the country’s food exports were worth about US$10 billion annually, but only 3% went to Muslim countries. Global Halal food trade is worth as much as $500 billion, with Canada and the United States the two top exporters. To increase their share of the Halal market, Mr Suvit said Thai exporters needed to adjust their mindset. While Halal food production meets the religious requirements of Muslim consumers, it can also be promoted to a broader market as safe food, he said. ‘’Standards for Thailand’s Halal food should be set and they should be recognised in the global community. In addition, a neutral body should be formed to accredit the producers,’’ he suggested. He said Thai restaurants overseas could be certified as places for consuming Halal food, adding value to the government’s ‘Kitchen to the World’ campaign. Associate Professor Winai Dahlam, dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at Chulalongkorn University, agreed on the need to internationalise Thailand’s Halal food standard. He said a committee with private-sector and government representatives should oversee the process and link food producers locally and internationally. Rafee Moungnont, executive vice-president of the SME Bank, said Thai Halal food producers needed help with preparation, research and development. | SOURCE: BANGKOK POST, 13/3/06

ASSALAMUALAIKUM When I first chanced upon The Halal Journal on the Internet, my first thought was that you were just another endorsement magazine. After going through several print copies, I am happy to be proven wrong. Your articles are insightful, and do not shy away from highlighting areas that need improvement. It is a tad sad that global Halal certification may be the only hope we have of a system that unifies us Muslims worldwide, but at least we’ll be getting something right. And I pray that your magazine will be there all the way to take us along for the ride. Abdul Rahman Basrun Singapore via email

UAE

CARTOON UPROAR HELPS TRIPLE SALES OF ISLAMIC MECCA COLA

UAE-based Mecca Cola, touted by its makers as an Islamic alternative to Western brand soft drinks, has seen sales triple since anger erupted in Muslim countries over cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammad Mecca Cola World Co. chairman Taoufik Mathlouthi told Reuters at a food industry exhibition in Dubai that he plans to list Mecca Cola on the Dubai stock market, adding the process could take more than a year. “Growth came with these Danish caricatures. It’s crazy but our sales multiplied by three. We cannot supply all the demand we have right now,” Mr. Mathlouthi said. Muslim consumers in Europe were the target for Mecca Cola when it was launched in October, 2002, but demand has been surging from Muslim countries after the cartoons row, he added. Mr. Mathlouthi declined to give figures for turnover, but said one billion litres of Mecca Cola were sold in 2005, adding that average monthly demand in Malaysia, a key market, was 500,000 cans a month last year. Distributors in Malaysia are now demanding 1.5 million cans a month, he said. The company has also launched an energy drink called Mecca Power with the slogan “Get the Halal power”. | SOURCE: REUTERS, 23/2/2006

ASSALAAM ALAYKUM I have been in touch with World Halal Council (WHC) and am awaiting information regarding the acceptable methods of slaughter. Please can you also send me information on what is accepted as Halal, i.e. one that does include mechanically slaughtered / killed and stunning. Please can you provide evidence to confirm why these two methods are acceptable according to the view of the Ulimah and Quran and Sunnah. I’m working in the UK trying to ensure information is available that provides sound evidence to confirm either way whether it is an acceptable method. There is a lot of fraud in the UK and unfortunately Haram is being mixed with Halal which is difficult to detect and I feel our Halal system needs to be tightened so that our community regulate Halal certification. I also meet with the UK Food Standards Agency and we will Inshallah be working on a code of practice. Jazakalla Kahir. Ruksana Shain United Kingdom via email You’re in luck! We will be coming up with an article on stunning in our next issue. In the meantime you can read about the article in our previous issue entitled ‘The Question of Stunning’ on ww.halaljournal.com –Ed.

THE HALAL JOURNAL

GlobalNEWS

Particularly vulnerable to the might of the big four Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons - are convenience stores, grocers, newsagents and petrol forecourts.

UNITED STATES

VIRGINIA WEIGHS LAWS TO PROTECT HALAL FOODS FOR MUSLIMS

Virginia, home to 350,000 Muslims, is weighing three proposals. One would make selling Halal knockoffs a misdemeanour punishable by up to $500 in fines. Other legislation would force vendors to offer certification information and a toll-free number or Web site for confirmation of Halal and kosher foods. Violators could face up to six months in jail and $1,000 in fines. The bills are pending in legislative committees. | SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS, 26/2/2006

MALAYSIA

MALAYSIA ENDS BAN ON U.S. BEEF

Malaysia has ended its more than two-year long ban on U.S. beef. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Malaysia is allowing imports of boneless beef from cattle less than 30 months of age. The date for resumption of trade has not been announced, but the USDA states that the two sides are currently working on the details “so that shipments can begin in the near future” Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns was quoted as saying “Today’s announcement is another positive step in our efforts to resume normal beef trade around the world that follows science-based international guidelines in food and animal safety”. Johanns continued, stating “We look forward to building on this opening to expand product coverage and exporter eligibility”. In late 2005, the Malaysian government banned beef from Australia after shipments failed to meet Islamic dietary requirements or halal. Malaysia banned U.S. beef in December 2003 following the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Washington State. Prior to the ban, in 2003 Malaysia imported $1.9 million of U.S. beef. | SOURCE: BROWNFIELDNETWORK.COM, 8/3/2006

10 THE HALAL JOURNAL

CORNER SHOPS WILL BE GONE IN 10 YEARS, WARNS UK MP’S

The big supermarket chains will start raising prices after achieving saturation point in the high street by wiping out small local shops, according to a major investigation into the retail industry. In a report published today, an influential cross-party group of MPs paints a grim picture of the British high street over the next 10 years and warns that consumers will be the biggest losers if the supermarkets are allowed to continue expanding unchecked. The article says: “Prices of products will remain fairly low until consolidation reaches a saturation point and the attention of the multiples turns to increasing value to shareholders by growth through margin. Prices are then likely to increase with fewer competitors in the market.” The MPs call on the government to appoint a retail ‘tsar’ to oversee the industry and introduce an immediate moratorium on further takeovers and mergers. Particularly vulnerable to the might of the big four - Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons - are convenience stores, grocers, newsagents and petrol forecourts. These are “unlikely to survive”, the 91-page report from the Parliamentary Small Shops Group warns. The warning comes as the Office of Fair Trading decides on whether to refer the food retail industry to the Competition Commission for a full-scale investigation. The domination of the supermarkets will have knock-on effects on local communities too, the report says, and the most vulnerable groups - the elderly, the less affluent and others without transport - will be hardest-hit. Women, who make up the majority of small shop workers, will also suffer as their jobs disappear. | SOURCE: GUARDIAN UNLIMITED, 15/2/2006

UAE

HALAL FOOD INDUSTRY SET FOR CHANGES

New issues relating to certification and shipment of Halal food will have a major impact on both importers and producers, according to an industry expert. Global Halal standards which have begun to take shape will affect both the Muslim world and major food producers such as Australia, Brazil, India, New Zealand and the US. “Currently there are no harmonised Halal standards. It is a free for all in a global market,” said Abdul Hamid Evans, a Kuala Lumpur-based Halal industry expert, a director at media and market intelligence company KasehDia. Besides Arab countries, which rely on imports for most of their food needs, Europe and the US are also major markets for the Halal industry. Evans said if Halal food companies in Muslim countries do not adopt certification practices, they will lose out in the world market. “If Carrefour is looking to put 300 Halal products in its supermarkets, it is obviously looking at products that are Halal certified. They are looking in Southeast Asia (for these products), they are not looking in the Middle East because they cannot get Halal certification.” However, the Middle Eastern market is moving slowly, he said, compared with Southeast Asia - and even Europe which has about 30 million Muslims. “In Muslim-majority countries they don’t pay that much attention to Halal certification. It is in the mixed-religion, multi-cultural societies that Halal becomes much more of an issue, and that is where the Halal market is really being driven.” “European, South African and Southeast Asian producers go to great lengths to get their products Halal certified if they are exporting to Muslim countries,” Evans said. He said consumers of Halal food are demanding standards be adopted in the whole supply chain. “They are demanding transparency and Halal compliance during transportation. This affects shipping and logistics companies. This is emerging as a new kind of major market sector.” | SOURCE: GULF NEWS, 20/2/2006

GlobalNEWS TURKEY

SECULAR TURKEY IS TURNING HALAL

Beneath the air of cosmopolitanism and economic stability, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government in Ankara seems intent on making Turkey a bit more Halal. On November 10, 2005, the Turkish daily Milliyet reported that the AKP had started a process of designating foods and meats Halal. The AKP has instructed Turk Standartlari Enstitusu (the Turkish Institute for Standards, or TSE), a government body responsible for setting up standards for the consumer market, to issue an official standard designating Halal foods. The TSE is now working on a Halal standard, which is to go into effect in fall 2006, legally reshaping the consumer market. “What is wrong with designating all foods as Halal?” asked an AKP deputy when enquired about the pending standard. “After all, we are all Muslims, and we all eat only Halal foods anyway,” he added. Indeed, at first glance, the Halal standard initiative seems benign. Nothing appears wrong with it until, of course, one remembers that Turkey is a secular country, and in secular countries, governments do not tell their citizens what they can eat on religious grounds. In secular societies markets regulate food behaviour, and this is the case in Turkey. Turkish companies already sell Halal food because that is what the consumers want. Representatives of Turkey’s meat and poultry industries confirmed this fact in interviews. Small poultry shops as well as large poultry and meat processing firms repeat the same answer: “Our products are Halal.” A representative adds that in order to satisfy the customers’ expectations for Halal food, the company receives a document from the mufti in Kemalpasa, where Pinar Et’s slaughterhouse is located, certifying that all the company’s meats are Halal. If all food is already Halal, why does the AKP want to set up a state Halal food designation? The AKP’s explanation is that this would help exports. Pointing at Malaysia, which already has a Halal designation, TSE chief Kenan Malatyali told Milliyet on November 10, 2005, that if Turkey also had a Halal designation, this “would help increase exports.” | SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE, 11/3/2006

“We are looking at ways to reduce the monopoly. One way is to open the market and allow more foreign abattoirs to supply beef to Malaysia. Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE EXPANDS ECERTIFICATION OF HALAL PRODUCTS

Malaysian consumers are paying almost double for Indian beef now as a cartel monopolising the trade is dictating the export price. The retail price of Indian beef has swelled from RM6.50 per kilo a year ago to between RM9 and RM10 per kilo now, depending on the cut. Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said his ministry was aware of the cartel, which was under the control of one of the four Indian exporters of beef to Malaysia. “We are looking at ways to reduce the monopoly. One way is to open the market and allow more foreign abattoirs to supply beef to Malaysia. If more abattoirs supply beef to the country, the price will be more competitive. This can help bring down current prices. If the price continues to rise further, the Price Control Act may be invoked,” he said. Muhyiddin, however, said that only abattoirs that supplied Halal meat would be allowed to export their products here. He said the authorities were looking at several countries to supply beef to Malaysia, but declined to name them. It is learnt that Pakistan and Bangladesh were among the countries being considered. Malaysia now depends on India for 90% of its beef supply, with the rest sourced from South America and China. The country imports about 6,000 tonnes of beef from India monthly.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) is working to expand the ecertification of Halal products and get international recognition as a world Halal certification provider. “We are developing the e-Halal product certification processing,” said Shahlan Hairalah, head of Muis’s Halal certification strategic unit. The sole custodian of Halal certification in Singapore, Muis is also working to expand the different aspects of Halal certification scheme. “We are also preparing to expand the Halal non-food products such as consumer products and other stuffs. The goal of the plan is to make Muis the best provider of Halal certification,” Hairalah said. Hairalah added that Muis is cooperating with the Singaporean government to enhance international recognition of the Muis Halal certification. “This includes achieving mutual recognition status of Muis Halal certified products in agreements with countries in the Middle East such as Kuwait, Qatar and other countries.” Muis was established in 1968 as a statutory board. It is tasked with advising the president in all matters relating to Singaporean Muslims. Muslims in Singapore number about 450,000 to 500,000, making around 14 to 15 percent of the population.

| SOURCE: THE STAR, 14/2/2006

| SOURCE: ISLAM ONLINE, 20/1/2006

MALAYSIA

INDIAN EXPORTERS’ MONOPOLY PUSHING PRICES TO RECORD HIGHS

12 THE HALAL JOURNAL

GlobalNEWS

“With Burns Night fast approaching and having received many requests, I felt we should make the Halal haggis available again so that as many people as possible can try the national dish.”

Jonathan Crombie, a partner with the company.

SCOTLAND

EDINBURGH BUTCHER SERVES UP HALAL HAGGIS

Renowned Edinburgh butchers Crombies have created a Halal haggis to allow Muslims to enjoy a Burns Supper. After repeated requests for the product, which was originally created last year for just one customer, Crombies, based in Broughton Street, has made a special batch which are Halal-approved in time for Burns Night recently. Jonathan Crombie, a partner with the company, said: “With Burns Night fast approaching and having received many requests, I felt we should make the Halal haggis available again so that as many people as possible can try the national dish.” | SOURCE: THE SCOTSMAN, 24/1/2006

UNITED STATE

NEW DOW JONES ISLAMIC MARKET SUSTAINABILITY INDEX LAUNCHED

Dow Jones Indexes, a leading global index provider, and SAM Group, a pioneer in sustainability investing, today launched the world’s first index that merges Islamic investing principles and sustainability criteria by combining the methodology of the well-established Dow Jones Islamic Market Indexes and Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. The Dow Jones Islamic Market Sustainability Index represents companies that are compatible with Islamic investment guidelines, while at the same time are determined to be corporate sustainability leaders. To be included in the index, companies must be components of both the Dow Jones Islamic Market Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. Currently, 105 companies are included in the index and are thus suitable for investors who want to apply stringent Islamic screens as well as best-in-class sustainability criteria. “This new index is another innovative product that Dow Jones Indexes created to respond to market demand,” said Mike Petronella, president, Dow Jones Indexes. “The Dow Jones Islamic Market Sustainability Index was developed in cooperation with SAM Group to meet the growing demand for compliant equity indexes based on internationally acknowledged Islamic finance standards and sustainability criteria.” “SAM has repeatedly received inquiries from asset managers who want to combine Islamic investment principles with a thorough selection of leading companies in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria,” said Alexander Barkawi, managing director, SAM Indexes. “We are excited to meet this demand with this new offering and to provide a solid platform for sustainabilitydriven investments within the growing market for Islamic finance products.” | SOURCE: WWW.HALALJOURNAL.COM, 23/1/2006

Check out the GlobalNEWS at

www.halaljournal.com Global News At A Glance covers more news items in headlines and key points to give our readers a more comprehensive picture of events and trends in the Halal market around the world. Read and download, free of charge.

Calendar of events 25-28 APRIL 2006 FOOD & HOTEL ASIA 2006 Int’l exhibition of food, drinks, hotel, restaurant & foodservice products Singapore Expo Singapore Tel: +65 6738 6776 Fax: +65 6732 6776 Email: ace@acexpos.com www.foodnhotelasia.com 27-29 APRIL 2006 - INDONESIA HALAL INDONESIA 2006 Exhibit in the world’s largest Halal market Bidakara Convention Centre Jakarta, Indonesia Expam Tel: +603 7880 0413 Fax: +603 7880 2817 Email: halal@expam.com www.expam.com 8-10 MAY 2006 WORLD HALAL FORUM The Premier Global Halal Industry Event Crowne Plaza Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Exporter’s Club Tel: +603 7880 0413 Fax: +603 7880 2817 www.worldhalalforum.org 9-12 MAY 2006 FOOD TECH PAKISTAN 2006 Int’l Food, Equipment & Technology Exhibition Karachi Expo Centre Karachi, Pakistan Tel: +65 6278 8666 Fax: +65 6278 4077 Email: info@cems.com.sg www.foodtechpakistan.com 10-14 MAY 2006 MALAYSIAN INTERNATIONAL HALAL SHOWCASE World’s Leading Halal Trade Expo Malaysian Int’l Conference & Exhibition Centre Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: +603 2161 0001 Fax: +603 2162 0002 Email: enquiry@halal.org.my www.halal.com.my 17-19 MAY 2006 IFE POLAND Food, drink and hospitality Expo XXI Warsaw, Poland Contact: MalProCGermany Tel: +49 2233 629833 Fax: +49 2233 64311 Email: mridhuan@malpro.com www.malproc.com 17-18 MAY 2006 3RD ISLAMIC FINANCIAL SERVICES BOARD SUMMIT: ALIGNING THE ARCHITECTURE OF ISLAMIC FINANCE TO THE EVOLVING INDUSTRY NEEDS The Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel Beirut, Lebanon IFSB Malaysia Tel: +603 2698 4248 Fax: +603 2698 4280 Email: ibsb_sec@ibsb.org www.ibsb.org 17-21 MAY 2006 THAIFEX – WORLD OF FOOD ASIA 2006 IMPACT Challenger Bangkok, Thailand Koelnmesse Tel: +65 6396 7181 Fax: +65 6296 2771 Email: r.bay@koelnmesse.com.sg www.koelnmesse.com.sg

THE HALAL JOURNAL 13

The Halal Journal

AWARDS

THE INTERNATIONAL AWARD TO CELEBRATE AND HONOUR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AND INNOVATION IN THE HALAL MARKET The Halal Journal Awards will be presented during the The World Halal Forum Gala Dinner on 8th May 2006 in Kuala Lumpur in the presence of the Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

{

T H E H A L A L J O U R N A L AWA R D C AT E G O R I E S

}

C AT E G O R Y 1

BEST NEW HALAL PRODUCT C AT E G O R Y 2

MOST CREATIVE MARKETING CAMPAIGN C AT E G O R Y 3

BEST ISLAMIC FINANCIAL SERVICE OR PRODUCT C AT E G O R Y 4

BEST CORPORATE SOCIAL WELFARE PROJECT C AT E G O R Y 5

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY C AT E G O R Y 6

BEST HALAL-RELATED SERVICE PROVIDER C AT E G O R Y 7

BEST INNOVATION IN HALAL INDUSTRY C AT E G O R Y 8

OUTSTANDING PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THE HALAL INDUSTRY Please visit www.worldhalalforum.org for further information on the World Halal Forum and www.halaljournal.com for daily updates on the Halal industry.

MATRADE news

Made in Malaysia for the World

Starting this issue, MATRADE News will feature quality and export ready Malaysian products. Adabi Consumer Industries Sdn. Bhd. and Prima Agri-Products Sdn. Bhd. head the list.

ADABI CONSUMER INDUSTRIES SDN. BHD. A brand synonymous with readyto-cook Malaysian dishes, Adabi has successfully built its reputation over the past two decades to deliver wholesome, Halal consumer food products to the masses. In 2002, the company was voted a ‘Malaysian Superbrand’ by the Malaysian Superbrand Council and attained the ISO 9001:2000 by SIRIM Berhad in 2003. Adabi produces over 33 types of products under four main categories – powdered spice mix, processed paste, soya sauce and flour mix. Among their popular products include well known sauces for dishes like Rempah Briyani, Rempah Kari Ayam Dan Daging as well as Kicap Manis. Manufactured in Rawang Integrated Industrial Park, Adabi also has import and distribution arms in Indonesia and China. Their products are also exported to Singapore, Brunei, Jordan and Mongolia and they are looking to strengthen their presence in Iran, Iraq and West African markets. The company’s objective is to increase export to 30 per cent by 2008 and the Malaysian External trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is assisting in achieving this target through its programmes. “At Adabi, we strive to provide the world with delicious Halal foods. One must also acknowledge that brand awareness is not

i 16 THE HALAL JOURNAL

upon seeing the packaging but in the consumer’s heart. ” –Dato’ Syed Manshor Syed Mahmood, founder and managing director

company details

Products manufactured Curry powder, sauce paste, soup powder, ketchup, flour based products, food ingredients (in paste form), soups, instant noodles Brand Names ADABI, SURI, LAZAT Current Export Markets Indonesia, China, Singapore, Brunei, Jordan, Mongolia, Iran, Iraq and West Africa Future Export Markets Bangladesh, Norway, Venezuela Contact Details Mohd Nizam Mohamad (Sales Manager) Lot 136, Rawang Integrated Industrial Park, 48000 Rawang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Tel: 603-6092 3677 Fax: 603-6092 6458 Email: info@adabi.com.my Website: www.adabi.com.my PRIMA AGRI-PRODUCTS SDN. BHD. Established in 1987, this wholly-owned Muslim company manufactures and distributes Halal meat-based delicatessen products for the domestic and international market. With an annual turnover of more than RM40 million in 2005, Prima AgriProducts Sdn Bhd represents a model Muslim business venture. Operating from their factory in

For more information contact MATRADE HEADQUATERS 7th Floor, Wisma Sime Darby, Jalan Raja Laut, 50350 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA t +603 2616-3333 f +603 2694-7363 toll free 1 800 88 7280 e-mail info@matrade.gov.my

Bandar Baru Bangi 25 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur, the company has had numerous successes in developing technological breakthroughs in food processing and manufacturing, evident in their achievement of being the first Malaysian company to be accredited by the European Union in 2002 for the export of cooked and processed poultry. Locally, most of meat-based products manufactured by Prima are used in established fast food chains such as Pizza Hut, Dominos, Shakey’s, Delifrance and A&W. The company has also established a sterling export record, making its way across South East Asia, Middle East, Europe and Central Asia. Prima is also actively striving to increase the production of Halal food by embarking on the planning and construction of Prima Halal Food Park in Kuantan, Pahang, scheduled to be operational by end of 2007. “There has never been a better opportunity for Halal food products to penetrate the world market. Malaysia has been recognised as having a credible Halal system. We look forward to working with other worldwide food manufacturers and distributors to take advantage of the opportunities available.” - Datuk Jamaluddin A. Kadir, group CEO

company details

Products manufactured Cold cuts, sausages, soups and sauces, convenience food, meal ready to eat (MRTE) and ethnic Malaysian dishes Brand Names PRIMA, BAGUZ Current Export Markets Hong Kong, Indonesia, UAE, Vietnam, Holland, Singapore, Pakistan Future Export Markets Interested to identify experienced strategic partners worldwide to distribute and market products Contact Details Mr. Hennie Coenraad (Senior Executive Director) Mr. Choong Chee Kheong (General Manager, Sales) No. 16 & 18, Jalan P10/13 43650 Bandar Baru Bangi Selangor, Malaysia. Tel: 603-8985 3788 Fax: 603-8925 9784 Email: halal@tm.net.my Website: www.primahalal.com

feature highlights MILS managing director and chief executive officer Hilmi Mohd Nashir.

Artist’s impression of the MISC Regional Logistics Hub (RLH).

MISC SUBSIDIARY TO SET UP REGIONAL HALAL COLD CHAIN MISC Integrated Logistics Services Sdn Bhd (MILS) is taking advantage of the development of the global Halal industry by setting up a regional Halal cold chain logistics hub with free commercial zone status in Pulau Indah, Port Klang. Its parent company MISC Bhd, is currently the second largest shipping company in the world and the latest in line of large companies investing in the Halal sector. This is widely seen as an important step in the development of the Halal sector in Malaysia and the region. Divided into three phases, the first phase of MISC Regional Logistics Hub (RLH) will initially offer 24,000 sqm of warehouse space which is expected to be ready by December this year. Upon completion of all three phases, the centre will have 90,000 sqm of multi-modular storage and a processing facility that would enable manufacturers, importers and exporters to consolidate multi-country warehouses in a single duty-free location. MILS’ mission is to design, develop and provide an integrated Halal logistics management solution. It will also make Halal its highest priority and will comply with all Halal logistics standards to “take the Halal concept to the next frontier”. Speaking at their ground-breaking ceremony in Pulau Indah, MILS managing director and chief executive officer Hilmi Mohd Nashir said, “It (RLH) will be the biggest cold room facility in this region and will further boost the Government’s intention of developing a Halal hub in the country”. “The hub is also well connected to our 18 THE HALAL JOURNAL

self-operated land bridge service into Thailand and Singapore. We have a fleet of prime movers and trailers to complement door-to-door services in the cross-border trade.” RLH stands to benefit with the development of a dedicated Halal food industrial park in the south of Thailand. Through RLH, MILS aims to redefine the future of logistics in the region by providing a competitive regional hub solution as compared to neighbouring countries. “Thus, from RLH, your products will reach your customers in Malaysia and Singapore within 24 hours, central and eastern seaboard of Thailand within 48 hours, parts of Indonesia within 72 hours and Vietnam within 156 hours,” Hilmi added. He said the RLH would bring enormous value for its ideal location from where customers can penetrate the regional market and beyond.

“Geography will no longer be a barrier and trading shall be without boundaries,” said Hilmi. The RLH is the first in a series of regional logistics hubs to be built by MISC in other regions, which will be supported by a single, integrated IT platform. The international and domestic operation is complemented by the company’s strategic alliances with MASkargo, POS Logistics and SterilGamma for fumigation and sterilisation services. Formed in 2001, MILS is a subsidiary of MISC that acts as a one-stop assetbased service provider that undertakes the non-maritime logistic activities of MISC. It provides logistic solutions and manages processes and services including ocean freighting, distribution and freight forwarding. MILS also operates a strategic network of warehouses and distribution centres all over the country. hj

MILS’ Regional Logistic Hub (RLH) expected population reach: Key Population Reach Door to Door (in Millions) Markets 24 hrs 36 hrs 48 hrs 60 hrs 72 hrs 120 hrs 144 hrs 156 hrs Malaysia 20 Singapore 4 Indonesia Thailand Vietnam Total

180 hrs

9 40

30 29

103

201

49 261

347

387

feature highlights

MIHAS 2006 to Push the Halal Frontiers

Non-Muslim manufacturers are cashing in on the phenomenal growth of the global Muslim consumer market. This reality not only goes to show that Muslims should get into their own market, it also illustrates that Halal is really worth a serious thought, by all corporations, big and small. MIHAS 2006, or the 3rd Malaysian International Halal Showcase, scheduled to be held from 10-14 May at Mines Resort City, Kuala Lumpur, is a strategic trade show for companies concerned about tapping the 1.5 billion consumers or 20 percent of the world’s population. Since its inaugural show in 2004, MIHAS has become the world’s largest exhibition of Halal-certified food and beverage products as well as services. Last year, it raked in RM217.1 million in trade sales in three days, a performance that is expected to increase by 50 per cent this year. “We have earned the position as the premier trade and expo for the Halal industry. The previous MIHAS shows were encouraging and the response has enabled us to plan better and bigger for MIHAS

this year,” said its chief executive officer Mohd Shukri Abdullah. This year’s MIHAS will put its experience to work by having more trade matchings, business talks and industry presentations, network opportunities and a more personalised attention. To date, 400 exhibitors from eight countries have committed their attendance. In addition to participants from Iran, Thailand, Indonesia, India, the US and Netherlands, a bigger number of participants from the OIC countries are also expected. Aiming to be bigger and friendlier for local and international participants, Shukri said MIHAS will encourage stronger networking among participants for the advancement of a global Halal industry. “MIHAS has assumed the leadership position and the role of bringing together an international community that is keen to move the Halal frontiers,” Shukri said.

Selangor Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo (centre) visiting the booths during MIHAS 2005.

THE HALAL JOURNAL 19

feature highlights

Halal Journal TV Hit the Airwaves Halal Journal TV, the new television programme that highlights the Halal concept in business and everyday life, hit the airwaves on February 4, 2006.

The first episode sums up the whole reach of the concept of Halal in multiple sectors and is scheduled to air every Saturday on Malaysia’s leading terrestrial television station, TV3 at 5.30pm. The new concept show also featured an exclusive interview with the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi on his hopes and aspirations for the development of a global Halal market. In many ways, the show is helping to promote and support the Prime Minister’s interest in championing Islam and the current call to embrace Islam Hadhari. Produced by KasehDia Sdn Bhd, Halal Journal TV draws a parallel between Halal and the broad spectrum of everyday life. It highlights the successful amalgamation of Halal within food, fashion, corporate philosophy, travel, education, agriculture, pharmaceutical, entertainment, banking and finance. The tone of the show is easy and upbeat. The show received positive response from the viewing public. Strongweb Sdn. Bhd. executive director Mohd Adly Rizal said, “Halal Journal TV presents another view on what Halal is all about. It is not just about food, it is actually a way of life. The programme brings together other elements prevalent in Halal such as finance, cosmetics, fashion and music. All in all, it is a very good education for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.” 20 THE HALAL JOURNAL

Commenting on the overall aim of Halal Journal TV, the show’s executive producer and KasehDia managing director Jumaatun Azmi explains, “This series will be able to quell some of the misconceptions of the public, both Muslims and non-Muslims, that Halal is only confined to slaughtered meat. The reality is that it encompasses almost everything in life.” Viewers can expect lively and intelligent discussions with business leaders, scientists, and

industry experts. They also get a chance to know about products and services that are targeted for the Muslim market or are based on Islamic concepts. Nordin Abdullah, Director of KasehDia who is also the Executive Producer of the show added, “Halal Journal TV represents a new medium that can reach the consumers of Halal products. It is an exciting new platform which can be utilised by manufacturers and businesses alike.”

feature highlights

FELDA to anchor Selangor Halal Hub The Selangor Halal Hub got their biggest boost yet when Federal Land Development Agency (FELDA) agreed to lease and develop 128 acres of industrial land in Pulau Indah. FELDA who is the world’s largest palm oil producer plans to build a refinery, packaging centre and warehouses for ready-made palm oil based products within the Pulau Indah Industrial Park (TPPI). Chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohd Yusof Noor said FELDA is still ascertaining its total investment for the project but they have paid RM14.5 million or 20% of the cost as a sign of commitment for developing the industrial land. The integrated Selangor Halal Hub would encompass industrial, commercial as well as residential zones with cost expected to come up to RM4 billion. The costs would include land reclamation as well as infrastructure cost. “Today we see food manufacturers scattered everywhere in Malaysia, so the issue of quality control is often highlighted,” said Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo, Selangor’s Chief Minister. “This is what makes Selangor Halal Hub concept different than the other Halal Hubs, because not only will it have the easy access to the Middle East market, it will also have stringent quality and certification controls.” The entire area will have a special quality and Halal laboratory that will ensure everything that is produced within the industrial park is of high quality and is Halal compliant, Khir added. With the agreement, FELDA will join local and international companies to develop the 60hectare phase one of Selangor Halal Hub. Ramly Burger, Golden Palmolina and YADIM have agreed to participate in the first phase of the project involving a total cost of RM90 million. These companies are expected to start their operations by next year. Developer Central Spectrum said they would be launching the second phase later this year and it would involve another 60 hectares and a development cost of RM95 million. hj

“FELDA who is the world’s largest palm oil producer plans to build a refinery, packaging centre and warehouses for ready-made palm oil based products within the Pulau Indah Industrial Park.”

Minister at the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Abdullah Mohd Zin launching JAKIM’s e-Halal facility at PWTC.

NET-BASED HALAL INQUIRIES TO CURB FAKE LOGOS

The Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) recently launched an internet-based Halal inquiry system called ‘e-Halal’ to curb the increasing abuse of fake or expired Halal logos by manufacturers.

The database search portal and SMS service enable consumers to verify the Halal status of any bar-coded products sold in Malaysia. By paying RM0.65 per transaction, consumers can verify whether the product is indeed Halal certified by JAKIM along with its expiry date. Any company claiming their products as Halal without the proof of a certificate is violating the provisions within the Malaysian Trade Descriptions Act 1972, liable to be fined a penalty. JAKIM and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs will be working together to undertake the monitoring and enforcement of the act. Developed internally, e-Halal is essentially a data hub of all products, food and non-food, restaurants, and slaughter houses that have been certified as Halal by JAKIM. To be implemented in stages, e-Halal will first cover products that are manufactured within Klang Valley and are issued Halal certificates by JAKIM. Halal certificates issued by state religious departments will come at a later stage. To check this system out, consumers can either send an SMS with the product’s bar code number to 32728 (DAPAT) or log on to the ‘Directory’ section within JAKIM’s Halal portal www.halaljakim.org.my for the listing of Halal by restaurants, slaughter houses and hotels. hj THE HALAL JOURNAL 21

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Oleochemicals the Answer to Ambiguous Ingredients From toothpastes to bar soaps, gelatine capsules to animal feeds, mouthwash to shampoos to food emulsifiers and food ingredients, the Halal concept practised in Islam has never been more tested and stretched as it is today. We are living in a world where the sources for ingredients used in many of today’s consumer products are ambiguously disguised, driven largely by cost effectiveness and functionality. The line of difference between what is Halal and what is Haram is becoming finer. Modern Muslim consumers especially, need to know and understand the sources of these ingredients and thoroughly scrutinise the labelling on all consumer products they buy off the supermarket shelves. Any Halal product today goes beyond the simple challenge of knowing whether or not it is made from swine or any other meat not slaughtered according to the principles of Shariah. As consumer products get more ‘sophisticated’ and have a myriad of items in their ingredients list, how sure are we that all of the ingredients stated are in fact Halal? The oleochemicals industry, which started in Malaysia during the early eighties, deserves a spotlight in the extended debate over what is Halal and what are ambiguous ingredients. Fatty acids, from which stearic acid is derived from, as well as glycerine, are two examples of oleochemicals that can be formed as basic building blocks for food emulsifiers, food esters, cosmetics and toiletries. Oleochemicals are therefore perfect as a Halal substitute and are in a good position to dispel any doubts in the constant debate of what is Halal or Haram in ingredients for food, cosmetics and toiletries. By making full use of Malaysia’s abundantly available and indigenous palm kernel oils, palm oil and its derivatives, the oleochemicals industry is able to produce the fatty acids and glycerines needed to ensure any ingredients are indeed wholly vegetablebased and will therefore be 100% Halal. The NatOleo Group of Companies, located on a 10-hectare site in Pasir Gudang Industrial Estate in the State of Johor, Malaysia produces

these fatty acids, glycerines, cosmetic and food esters as well as soap noodles for the merchant market. The company’s production facility, along with its 54,000 metric tons of stainless steel storage space, are also certified Halal by the Malaysian Department of Islamic Development and is subsequently MS1500:2004 compliant.

As consumer products get more ‘sophisticated’ and have a myriad of items in their ingredients list, how sure are we that all of the ingredients stated are in fact Halal? With strict Halal compliance on the production line, NatOleo’s commitment in ensuring a total Halal supply-chain extends from its production to storage to shipping. Even the bulking facility onto shipping vessels that NatOleo uses at the Pasir Gudang port caters solely for vegetable oils, thus ensuring no contamination would occur between NatOleo’s end products and that of other products, the likes of tallow or any other animal-

based fats and oils. NatOleo’s strategic location in Pasir Gudang, just a stone throw away from the port facilities, further cements their commitment to deliver its products and services on time anywhere in the world whilst ensuring that all the products they supply remain Halal throughout its entire supply chain process. Based on customer’s feedback, NatOleo is also continually researching and producing new products and services to make available a larger base of products to cater to a wider range of applications whilst remaining true and adhering strictly to the concept of Halal and tayyib. NatOleo Sdn. Bhd. produces: • Fractionated fatty acids • Distilled/topped fatty acids • Hydrogenated fatty acids • Blends based on client requirement • Glycerine BP/USP • Hydrogenated triglycerides Dubois-Naturals Esters Sdn. Bhd. (DNE) produces: • IsoPropyl palmitate (IPP) • IsoPropyl myristate (IPM) • Caprylic/Capric triglycerides (MCT) Natural Soaps Sdn. Bhd. (NatSoaps) produces: • Soap noodles THE HALAL JOURNAL 23

Multinationals are quick to realise Malaysia’s strategic potential in the global Halal industry. This is evident in the setting up of a ‘Halal Excellence Centre’ by a few MNCs in the country. The pioneer of this move is Nestlé Group.

Nestlé Group’s

Halal Excellence Centre in Malaysia Nestlé

IS ALREADY PROFITING from their farsightedness in Halal. Having been in Malaysia for close to a century, Nestlé Malaysia have managed to leverage on its deep understanding of the Malaysian and Muslim cultures to realise that Halal isn’t just about slaughtered meats. “I think there are tremendous opportunities for the Halal industry, because we are clearly seeing an increased interest in Halal food consumption,” said Nestlé’s executive vice president and zone director for Asia, Oceania, Africa and Middle East Datuk Frits Van Dijk. “Today, we at Nestlé have approximately 50 factories that are certified Halal for food and beverage manufacturing and we have over 100 dedicated Halal production lines.” Nestlé Malaysia Bhd managing director Sullivan O’Carroll said Halal was extremely important to Nestlé. “We are the world’s biggest food company and because of that, we want to service and provide the right products to our consumers. There are over two billion Muslim consumers around the world. So it’s very important that we satisfy their needs.” With an annual turnover approximating USD70 billion and more than 250,000 employees worldwide, Nestlé amassed a nett profit of USD 6.07 billion in the financial year ending 2005. Interestingly, the group recorded more than USD3 billion in sales from countries where Islam is practised, and the number is increasing. It is not hard to see why. According to Sullivan, Nestle Malaysia alone exports about RM470 million worth of products mainly to the Asian and the Middle Eastern markets. In fact, they export to some 45 countries worldwide. “We have been in Malaysia for about 93 years and we have a strong and stable business here,” said Sullivan. Nestlé began in Malaysia in 1912 as the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company in Penang and later moved to Kuala Lumpur in 1939 after growth and expansion made it necessary. Since 1962, with its first factory in Petaling Jaya, Nestlé Malaysia now manufactures its products in eight factories and operates from its 24 THE HALAL JOURNAL

head office in Petaling Jaya, and six sales offices nationwide. The company was publicly listed on the KLSE on 13 December, 1989 and today, it employs over 3,500 people and manufactures as well as markets more than 300 Halal food products in Malaysia. It even included within its corporate philosophy a guarantee that all products manufactured, imported and distributed by Nestlé Malaysia are certified

Halal by JAKIM or its affiliates. Their efforts are not strictly confined to merely ensuring their products are Halal. Nestlé Malaysia has also undertaken several mentoring programmes beginning year 2000 to develop local SMIs in the food manufacturing industry. Offering advice and counsel on good food manufacturing processes, Nestlé Malaysia has so far trained 1,200 small and medium enterprises since the programme’s inception. “And one of the modules is about Halal certification, Halal cleansing and Halal methods. We believe in this way we are helping the local industry build up the food knowledge and good manufacturing practices including Halal issues and requirements,” Sullivan added. World’s Local Halal Committee In ensuring that all of their manufactured Halal foods

“Nestlé very much supports a global standard and for one logo to be created. As a matter of fact, today, Nestlé Malaysia is using experts in our organisation here in Malaysia who are assisting us in (the) certification of many of our Nestlé factories outside of Malaysia.“ • Datuk Frits Van Dijk

In ensuring that all of their manufactured Halal foods are 100 per cent Halal, Nestlé Group employs a tried and trusted methodology - the transfer of knowledge, from Malaysia to the rest of the world. are 100 per cent Halal, Nestlé Group employs a tried and trusted methodology – the transfer of knowledge, from Malaysia to the rest of the world. “Nestlé Malaysia is recognised in the Nestlé world as the centre of excellence for Halal issues. We have been working here with the government for many years and we have built up this body of knowledge that we are able to transfer to other Nestlé markets around the world,” said Sullivan. The extent of these markets is vast, and Othman Md. Yusoff, the chairman of Nestlé Malaysia’s Halal Committee knows he has a massive responsibility. “As Nestlé Malaysia’s Chairman for Halal Committee, I am to ensure that all products that we manufacture and market in Malaysia, and those that we import from abroad, are all Halal and Halal certified,” he said. “Each and every product of ours is ensured Halal right from the beginning, as early as the discussion stage,” Othman explained. “Our R&D offices in the US, Switzerland and Singapore know that if the product is for Malaysia, it has to be Halal compliant. So when they source for raw materials, they must use only Halal compliant sources. Only then will they start producing the products.” “In addition, we have a Halal checklist where we will scrutinise all raw materials that we use. Once satisfied, the document will be signed by the Halal Committee for each factory and will then proceed to undertake the application to JAKIM for products we use in Malaysia and to IFANCA for products we import,” he went on. First started during the seventies, the Halal Committee became more organised during the mid eighties. When the Malaysian government instituted their Halal voluntary code during the early nineties, Nestlé Malaysia decided to comply with the option, thus having a head start among the rest of the food companies. Today, the Nestlé Malaysia’s Halal Committee is made up of representatives from all departments within the organisation. It currently consists of representatives from the manufacturing, technology, marketing, legal, corporate affairs as well as regulatory department. This committee represents the entire organisation within Nestlé Malaysia. A strong support by the management is hence vital according to Othman. “Nestlé Malaysia gets very strong support from our headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland to commit to Halal. Such strong support makes our Halal procedure implementation much easier,” said Othman. “Over the last fifteen years, we have built on this

knowledge because we wanted to comply with these requirements, and we are now in the position to share this knowledge with the rest of Nestlé world,” added Sullivan.

“Our R&D offices in the US, Switzerland and Singapore know that if the product is for Malaysia, it has to be Halal compliant. So when they source for raw materials, they must use only Halal compliant sources. Only then will they start producing the products.” •Othman Md. Yusoff

“Today, we at Nestlé have approximately 50 factories that are certified Halal for food and beverage manufacturing and we have over 100 dedicated Halal production lines.” •Sullivan O’Carroll

Global Opportunities and Challenges By sharing Malaysia’s Halal expertise with the world, Nestlé is not only elevating Halal to the global business arena, it is actually taking Malaysia along for the ride. Despite their best efforts however, Sullivan said more could be done if Malaysia was truly serious in realising the global Halal hub vision. “I think one of the key issues with Halal development is the question of trust. I think consumers like to trust a brand or an identity and I think Malaysia should take the lead in terms of redeveloping JAKIM as the standard for good Halal products for the consumers to trust,” said Sullivan. “If they see too many different logos, they will eventually get confused. Its like any other brand. We spend lots of money developing a brand like Milo, and I think Malaysia should develop the logo of JAKIM to give international credibility to our efforts here in the Halal developments.” This vision for the development of a single global Halal standard is shared by Van Dijk. “Nestlé very much supports a global standard and for one logo to be created. As a matter of fact, today, Nestlé Malaysia is using experts in our organisation here in Malaysia who are assisting us in (the) certification of many of our Nestlé factories outside of Malaysia. “With the expertise that we have, and with our beliefs and with this involvement to have a proper Halal certification, Nestlé would very much support such a move,” he said. THE HALAL JOURNAL

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World Halal Forum Will Set Historical Precedent

One of the world’s most signiﬁcant meeting on Halal business is about to take place this May 8–10 in Kuala Lumpur. This inaugural gathering of world business leaders is expected to shape the way Halal is being analysed, applied and appreciated within the global business arena. “It is my sincere to manufacturing, hope that this forum processing and will be significantly packaging, ingredients, beneficial and will logistics, shipping, receive participation certification, retailing, by individuals who are finance and marketing. distinguished in their Held back-tofields, especially those back with the world’s who are related in largest Halal trade investments, trade fair – the Malaysian “This forum and manufacturing International Halal should also of Halal products,” Showcase (MIHAS) be aimed at said Malaysian Prime 2006, the World Halal increasing the Minister Datuk Seri dissemination of Forum is supported by Abdullah Ahmad multiple sectors in the opportunities, Badawi who will industry. This includes, and to enable be delivering the entrepreneurs to CIMB Islamic, Westports keynote address. Malaysia, MISC seek potentials Grouped that are related Integrated Logistics in a schematic to businesses and Services, Prima Agri presentation, the services that are Products, Limkokwing two-day event will related to Halal.” University College of address sectors Creative Technology, such as meat and Protemp, Nestle poultry, food services, distributive Malaysia, Islamic Development trade, food manufacturing, Bank, Microlink, OCBC Bank, F&N, logistics, Halal standard Dindings Poultry Processing and policy as well as future Sdn. Bhd., Aron Halal Products, developments. Within these SIPCA, TH Properties, Royal critical sectors, Abdullah also Selangor and Malaysia Airlines. pointed that this is an excellent Registration for the event opportunity for Malaysians to is USD350 nett. It includes two benefit from the strategies taken full day’s attendance, including by the international business all materials and presentations, leaders during the forum. daytime meals plus attendance to “This forum should also the Forum’s Gala Dinner & The Halal be aimed at increasing the Journal Awards Night attended by dissemination of opportunities, the Prime Minister of Malaysia. and to enable entrepreneurs to seek potentials that are related For more information, to investment and business please visit opportunities, manufacturing, www.worldhalalforum.org trade, businesses and services that or call The Exporters Club are related to Halal,” said Abdullah. at +603 7880 0413. Speakers at the World Halal Forum will include market leaders from the entire Halal value chain, from meat and livestock suppliers, 26 THE HALAL JOURNAL

Malaysia withdrew its Halal certification from nine slaughter houses in Australia in July last year. They found the Australian abattoirs were non-compliant with the conditions set forth by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) on the Halal slaughter of the animals. These conditions were changed under the Malaysian Standard on Halal MS1500:2004 launched in August 2004.

AUSSIE HALAL

The View From DOWN UNDER THE PROCEDURE IN QUESTION now is stunning. JAKIM through the National Fatwa Council only allows the use of electrical stunning, while the Australian industrial standard uses pneumatic or mushroom stunning, a procedure demanded by the animal rights groups in Australia. As a follow up to the import ban of Australian beef by Malaysia, JAKIM led a Malaysian delegation to Australia late last year under the invitation of the Australian Quarantine Inspection Services (AQIS) to check their slaughter houses and identify which procedures needed modification. Reports and feedbacks were exchanged and the findings were presented to the National Fatwa Council. In January, the council ruled that their decision on the use of pneumatic stunning remain.

On February 8, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin threatened to pull the plug completely if AQIS was not prepared to adhere to their slaughtering guidelines. On March 4, he led a Malaysian delegation to Australia that included, among others, the National Fatwa Council’s chairman Datuk Dr. Abdul Shukor Husin. Then on March 14, the National Fatwa Council declared that they were satisfied with the amended slaughtering process and ruled that beef from Australia is Halal. Muhyiddin accordingly announced that the ban has now been lifted. A check with the Department of Veterinary Services confirmed that the Australians had in fact introduced a new stun gun to comply with the Malaysian requirements. The National Fatwa Council, who was against pneumatic stunning because it penetrated the cattle’s skull prior to slaughter, slackened their ruling after AQIS assured that the air pressure on the new pneumatic gun can be controlled and that the pressure would only render the cattle temporarily unconscious, which is reversible and not dead as previously practised. So at press time, five Australian abattoirs have been identified to supply Halal beef, with beef import from Australia resuming at the beginning of April. The Halal Journal met up with the Halal Coordinator of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC), Mohammad A. Rahman to find out the views from Down Under. AFIC is Australia’s main Islamic umbrella body responsible for Halal food products certification, media monitoring and THE HALAL JOURNAL

JAKIM staff on inspection duty, in one of the slaughter house in Australia.

MOHAMMAD A. RAHMAN , Halal Coordinator of AFIC

publisher of the Australian Muslim News newspaper and other educational material on Islam as well as assisting in welfare and community initiatives in Australia.

up; there is no doubt in my mind. We have already told AQIS that Malaysia is starting the ball rolling and they should oblige. We have got calls from Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), Majlis Ulama’ Indonesia (MUI), several key parties from Dubai and the UAE - they are all looking into it. This will be a good case study for the Muslim world and I am glad Malaysia has set the precedence in this regard.

HOW DOES AFIC FEEL ABOUT THE ISSUES OF STUNNING AND THORACIC STICKING USED BY THE AUSTRALIAN ABATTOIRS? It’s simple- stunning, AFIC doesn’t like it. But because of the laws of the country, we have to respect it and say it’s alright so long as Halal is not being compromised. We have come to the conclusion that as long as the animal will be able to get up within 10 seconds after stunning (if you don’t cut the throat), then it is okay. So we do random, unannounced checks. But if I had the power to change it, then I would have done something. But you know, the abattoirs, you would be surprised, if you tell them to do the right thing, they will do it. But if we tell them, don’t worry, you’re doing the right thing, then they will carry on. You have to set the standards for them. So it doesn’t matter what they believe, but it’s what we want. It’s like the car mechanic shop, you’ll say to them, I want the car to run properly, no matter what you have to do, this is what I need. So, we should be the ones setting the standards. We are doing the work of Allah and I am 110% sure that if Allah is with you, Insha’llah, everything will turn out alright. ARE THE LAWS OF HALAL BEING COMPROMISED, NOW THAT WE HAVE ALLOWED STUNNING AND THORACIC STICKING? It actually depends on the importing country really, the buyer. JAKIM is saying what they are saying now. It all depends on them really. It’s what the buyer wants and usually the seller has to oblige. But the strange thing is, ritual killing is acceptable for certain groups. For kosher meat for example, lambs are being killed without the use of stunning. It dies very quickly and the blood is all out, so the meat is even tastier and tender. We are forgetting that, we are going away from the mainstream. According to Islam, yes, we are compromising it but it is the responsibility of the buyers. If they say, no we’re not going to do as you ask, then you should go to others who can. And there are a lot of other people doing them right now, even in Australia. There are smaller slaughter houses all over Australia that are growing organic beef. The animals are masha’llah, very tasty and very tender. HOW DO YOU THINK THIS WILL AFFECT THE FORMULATION FOR A GLOBAL HALAL STANDARD? Everybody is going to follow Malaysia, I’ll guarantee you that. People will look up and say “Oh, we didn’t know this was going on”. At least it will wake us

WHAT IS AFIC’S MAIN CONCERN NOWADAYS IN TERMS OF HALAL? Halal is more than just saying Bismillahi Allahu Akhbar and cutting the throat. It is actually more than that. Is the animal itself Halal? For instance, now in Australia they are feeding the animal with palettes, which is essentially waste meat to feed it back to the animals. This means that the animal is now a carnivorous animal and carnivorous animals are Haram for Muslims. How many days do you have to wait until this goes through the system? Who has got the knowledge? If you don’t want to do it now (stop feeding the animals), you will compromise a little bit every day. By the end of the day, our food is compromised. So we really need hikmah (wisdom) in this sort of thing. The way I look at it, working for Halal is something like building a mosque: if you die, the mosque will become your sadakah jariah. If you feed people, Muslims or non Muslims, for the sake of Allah, this

For kosher meat for example, lambs are being killed without the use of stunning. It dies very quickly and the blood is all out, so the meat is even tastier and tender. We are forgetting that, we are going away from the mainstream. 28 THE HALAL JOURNAL

Everybody is going to follow Malaysia, I’ll guarantee you that. People will look up and say “Oh, we didn’t know this was going on”. jariah will come to you in the after life. How big is that? It is like investing money and relaxing. And Halal is not a light issue, it is very serious. It will contaminate your body.

Alhamdulillah, because of these public relation exercises, people are looking at Muslims in a different way in Australia.

WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GLOBAL HALAL INDUSTRY? There is no doubt in my mind that Malaysia is going to be the next Halal Hub for the world. Give it one or two years, Malaysia is definitely going to achieve that status. Malaysia can use Australia’s meat and the quality of meat we have is very high. I suppose you got issues at the moment, with the stunning and thoracic sticking and we’re trying to work on that. As an Islamic body, we have got some say in the Government because our chairman is a religious advisor to the Prime Minister’s Department.

WHAT IS THE NEXT BIG PROJECT ON AFIC’S AGENDA? Alhamdulillah, we are going to have an Imam’s Conference early in March and we are inviting religious leaders from all over the Muslim world. The reason for this conference is to ask the Government of Australia to give recognition to the ulama’s of Australia because these people have a lot to contribute to our society; they are an important part of our society. In this regard, the Prime Minister has agreed, giving his full support to us. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer will be there, so will the Immigration Minister. We have also invited MUI and MUIS, and we have also invited JAKIM and several key figures from Malaysia. We want them to come into our Fatwa Committee and help us, to make us even stronger. If you don’t have a strong back, you can’t carry heavy loads. It’s as simple as that. At the end of the day, our goal is to make sure everybody is doing the same thing and the right thing. This is our aim and we are working very hard on hj that, believe me.

TELL US ABOUT OTHER WORK AFIC IS CURRENTLY DOING. We are trying to paint a positive picture about Islam, and Halal is just one of the main functions that we do in AFIC. We don’t make much money out of it, but moral obligation is very important. We have five or six very big and very good schools and our school in Sydney is in the top two per cent in the country. We also organise interfaith dialogues once every fortnight or every month where we will invite Jews and Christians to sit down and discuss on topic. They come to our mosques and we go to their church or synagogue, and they are working hand in hand with us. If not for the interfaith dialogues, Muslims would have a lot of problems in Australia. When we had the London bombings, people reacted straight away so, when somebody was doing something wrong to the Muslims, the Christians and Jews would stand up for us and say “leave them alone.” Like the last stabbing incident at Bondi Beach last year, AFIC was quick to condemn it, especially the burning of church. Now we have this Prophet’s cartoon and we were quick to put it up, condemning the publication. We work hand-in-hand with the Government, so anything that is detrimental to Islam, we protest it to the Government straight away.

THE HALAL JOURNAL

MAKE MALAYSIA AS A BENCHMARK AS CHAIRMAN of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Malaysian Prime Minister Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has advocated an interpretation of Islam known as Islam Hadhari, which maintains that Islam and economic and technological development are not incompatible. His administration has also been emphasising a revival of the Malaysian agricultural sector and with this, the push for Malaysia to be self-reliant in food production, Halal food production to be exact. Halal Journal recently met with the premier on matters that clearly excited him and are known to be close to his heart- Halal and Islam. THE HALAL JOURNAL

ABDULLAH ON THE CONCEPT OF HALAL

“Halal is something that is stressed in our religion- Halal, pure and clean. This is what we desire, and Halal is also stressed by Allah, not what is Haram. Therefore, we must strive full-heartedly so that the Muslim society gets Halal food, drinks and other products, those that are Halal, clean, pure and of high quality. “The same goes for other consumer products, Muslims cannot use products that are made of non-Halal ingredients like swine-based products. We all know this, so to strive for the production of Halal products is actually a religious duty for us Muslims, a fardhu kifayah, something that is obliged upon us. But if we don’t have any business in terms of food production, or the production of other products including pharmaceuticals, if we ourselves don’t push for it, we cannot depend on anybody else, because non-Muslims don’t really emphasise on what is Halal or what is Haram, for them it’s nothing. “For example, they would use gelatine made from swine for medicines, but Muslims cannot use them. If Muslims were to produce these products, surely they would use gelatines that are made of vegetable sources instead of swine. In short, when we talk about the scope of Halal, in terms of consumption for the Muslims themselves, it is really enormous, and it is not confined only to food.”

“Knowledge is not something that we can just create. It is created by Allah and passed on to us; we can just ﬁnd knowledge. But if we talk about whether it is Halal to practise any given knowledge, then it must be knowledge that brings beneﬁt to mankind.” ON MALAYSIA AS A GLOBAL HALAL HUB “The government has already made its decision on this. We have made the decision to make Malaysia as a Halal hub, to be a centre for the manufacturing of Halal products and services. And we are able to achieve this because, within the OIC, Malaysia is the most active member as compared to the others. We are also the most active in terms of volume and our value of international trade is also one of the biggest. From our standpoint as a manufacturing nation, we are also better off than most of the nations within OIC. So, we are indeed in a better position to produce Halal products and services and market them all over the world.” ON WHETHER INTRA-OIC TRADE IS IMPORTANT IN HALAL “It (intra-OIC trade) is extremely important. We must create partnerships to increase the number of Halal products and services. When there is partnership, businesses will grow. When it grows, Halal products will be better marketed throughout the world. So for the people who are looking, they would know where to get them.” ON ISLAMIC BANKING “We want to make Malaysia as a benchmark, one that gets to say what Islamic banking is about. We have started this and have taken many leads from our religion, Islam. I have also personally told the Governor of 32 THE HALAL JOURNAL

our Central Bank (Tan Sri Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz) to record and store whatever edicts or decisions we have made at the Fatwa Council in Bank Negara in the computer, in a webpage, for others to refer to and make references to our past successes from a management’s point of view. In that regard, we can also organise courses and seminars in Islamic banking, including its practices, procedures and systems.” ON BRANDING AND MARKETING “Our branding and marketing is simply weak, especially among the Malays. Local food producers just do not give much concern about obtaining Halal certificates, even though whatever they are producing are already Halal. We actually want them to certify their products Halal and certified to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, or JAKIM’s standard. They (JAKIM) have set the necessary Halal standards to be followed, and this has been accepted by the United Nations. When the Halal-certified products and services are produced and well received, people will start asking about the brand. But there will be certain parties out to try and misuse the Halal labels for their own products. And they don’t care, because they know they will profit from it. But the Halal is a fake, and this is quite rampant these days. So enforcement is crucial in this regard.”

ON JAKIM AND ITS HALAL CERTIFICATES “I hope JAKIM will be able to change its mindset a bit; they don’t have to be too selfish in keeping their Halal certificates for their own use, but ready to be an agency that gives out licenses and allow other parties to use their Halal certificates. This way, Malaysia can, in many ways, become a leader in producing whatever that is Halal, not just for foods but also other products and services that are required by the consumers. I believe we can move forward in this, because branding is very important. Since there are fake certificates (going around in the market), we must ensure that ours are truly genuine.” ON THE WEAKNESS OF TODAY’S MUSLIMS “The weakness of Muslims these days is that, they know all about Islamic teachings, they know what Allah wants from us. The missing link is wisdom, or hikmah. When no hikmah exist, any da’wah work will fail. Sometimes you even get a reactive action if we don’t have any hikmah in this field. So whatever we do, to do good, we must have hikmah. It will give us the ability to assign a procedure, design a plan, and execute a system. Only then will our work, which is to do good and Halal in Islam, bring benefit.” ON HALAL AS A TOOL TO CORRECT MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM “Whatever Muslims do, it must be

WEAKNESS OF MUSLIMS “THETHESE DAYS IS THAT, THEY

KNOW ALL ABOUT ISLAMIC TEACHINGS, THEY KNOW WHAT ALLAH WANTS FROM US. THE MISSING LINK IS WISDOM, OR HIKMAH. IT WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO ASSIGN A PROCEDURE, DESIGN A PLAN, AND EXECUTE A SYSTEM. ONLY THEN WILL OUR WORK, WHICH IS TO DO GOOD AND HALAL IN ISLAM, BRING BENEFIT.”

THE HALAL JOURNAL

How are we to drive “ the economy wearing

a kopiah? To drive the economy, we need a speciﬁc approach that will also drive the religion.”

done correctly, in the most proper manner possible. In doing so, others are going to see us in a different light. In terms of the food that we consume, it must be hygienic, pure, clean and of quality, Halalan taiyyibban. These are stressed by Islam, and these are the things that will be sought by everybody. “If we produce food, products and services that satisfy these requirements, everybody will want to buy them, because it is only natural for consumers to yearn for the best, to look for whatever that is good. And when Muslims are able to produce all things good and tayyib, people will surely buy. They won’t mind because they know they are buying food that is not only delicious, but also clean, well taken care of, with good presentation and served in a proper manner. ON THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE OR ILMU “Islam states that knowledge is something that benefits mankind, or ilman nafiaan. Knowledge is not something that we can just create. It is created by Allah and passed on to us; we can just find knowledge. But if we talk about whether it is Halal to practise any given knowledge, then it must be knowledge that brings benefit to mankind. These kinds of knowledge are then Halal for Muslims to learn and implement.” ON ISLAM HADHARI “Islam Hadhari is actually a holistic approach that we have taken based on the teachings of Islam. The religion of Islam gave us guidance and teaches us to do good deeds. In the holy book, Al Quran, often we can find various verses from Allah as well as from the Prophet Muhammad sallahu alaihi wasalam. The most important is that we must understand what is being said in Al Quran and hadith about our life, for example, about our work and about the things we should stand up for and other relevant issues surrounding our entire life. 34 THE HALAL JOURNAL

“So, what is important in this regard is that, we must first understand and know how best we can achieve those objectives. In other words, there must be wisdom, or ‘hikmah’. This will come from within ourselves, after we have given a thorough thought about it and after we have determined the actions to take. So, if Muslims want to lead a ‘hasanah’ (fulfilled) life in this world as well as in the next, what should we do? Simply just pray and fast? Obviously there is a lot more a Muslim should strive for, as an individual, as a member of a family, a member of society, and as members of the institutions we have created under the name of Islam. “How are we to drive the economy wearing a kopiah? To drive the economy, we need a

specific approach that will also drive the religion. Today for instance, Muslim countries are viewed as weak and poor since their natural resources are not developed to their full potential. Why is this happening? Lack of manpower, lack in development of human capital and lacking in knowledge. But we are not saying that the Muslim population in these countries are not good abiding Muslims. On the contrary, they also pray, they also fast and do normal work as with the rest of the Muslims in other parts of the world. But to be successful, and Islam emphasises on this, we must have an approach. So, all these ten approaches under Islam Hadhari are actually principles established under the teachings of Islam, to help Muslims achieve a more balanced and successful hj life, in this world and the next.”

VIEWS ON GELATINE The food industry’s attempt to satisfy the demand for healthier alternatives in the aftermath of Mad Cow Disease has precipitated the growth of interest for Halal substitutes. The pharmaceutical and health supplement sectors have also been aﬀected and it has even spawned diﬀering Halal standards amongst the world’s foremost certifying bodies, as in the case of gelatine.

36 THE HALAL JOURNAL

elatine is a protein substance derived from collagen found in animal’s skin and bones. The use of gelatine has far reaching applications. Best known as a gelling agent in cooking and binding agent for industrial use, different types and grades of gelatine are applied in a wide range of food and non-food products. Apart from its use in medicine capsules, gelatine is also widely used in desserts such as jelly, marshmallow, ice cream, jams, yogurt, cream cheese and margarines as well as in confectionaries such as gummy jelly and cereal bars. Industrially, gelatine acts as a binding agent for match heads and sandpaper. Gelatine also smoothes glossy printing papers or playing cards and maintains the wrinkles in crepe paper. Even some soft contact lenses are made of gelatine. According to an industry insider, as recent as ten years ago, all forms of capsules available in the market were made from non-Halal based gelatine. Unless the labels state it is derived from bovine, most gelatine capsules are made of porcine (swine) since it is the cheapest

and easiest to produce. “The most cost-effective and simplest way to produce gelatine is porcine-based. Gelatine made of bovine takes a longer processing period and is more expensive. What then makes the capsule one is consuming Halal? More importantly, do we know what it is made of?” asked Hafiz Jamaluddin of Natural Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd (NatOleo). Frankly, no one really knows for sure. As far as gelatine is concerned, we found there are currently three established schools of thought on the ongoing issue of what is lawful and what is not. At one end, you have the scholars who permit the use of unlawful animals, even swine, as an acceptable base

for gelatine. Then at the other end of the spectrum, you have scholars who only allow lawful animals that are slaughtered in the name of Allah. Then there is the third school who takes the midpoint approach – permitting only lawful animals but they do not have to be slaughtered according to Shariah principles. The key issue in the ongoing debate is whether the product has undergone a change from its original state, or istihala. To understand more, let us first understand the process involved, as explained by the Da’wah & Fatwa Office of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils. To produce gelatine, bovine skins and bones are first cleansed to remove all impurities. The skin is

According to an industry insider, as recent as ten years ago, all forms of capsules available in the market were made from non-Halal based gelatine. Unless the labels state it is derived from bovine, most gelatine capsules are made of porcine (swine) since it is the cheapest and easiest to produce.

Dr. Mohd Hashim Tajuddin

IN THE CASE OF HALAL GELATINE CAPSULES, ONE COMPANY THAT IS PRODUCING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS USING ONLY HALAL GELATINE CAPSULES IS CCM PHARMACEUTICALS SDN BHD. “We noticed within the pharmaceutical industry that there aren’t a lot of Halal supplements in the market, and the awareness for Halal product is increasing,” said its group managing director Dr. Mohd Hashim Tajuddin. “We think it is a good approach to have all of our products certified Halal, to satisfy the demand in countries like Malaysia, ASEAN as well as other Muslim countries around the world, like the Middle East countries,” he added. Investing heavily in constant innovation, the company currently owns a Pharmagel machine, the first in Asia for the preparation of the softgel capsules. Their plant in Bangi is also the only plant in Malaysia which has its range of products certified as Halal by JAKIM. They are also the first company in Malaysia to obtain approval from the Ministry of Health to advertise their products’ Halal status. Aside from technological edge and quality assurance, CCM’s pharmaceutical division is also a firm believer in continuous research and development. “Under CCM, we also have a research arm, Innovax (M) Sdn Bhd, to undertake any R&D for all of our products, especially in Halal because we feel more research should be done in terms of Halal. We allocate about three per cent of our sales revenue for research. It is money well spent,” said Dr. Mohd Hashim.

THE HALAL JOURNAL

then soaked in lime bath for a considerable length of time while the bones are crushed and soaked into hydrochloric acid. Both now softer and neutral, the skin and bone pieces are then applied heat, water and pressure to transform it into a liquid gelatine substance. Following various processes, this liquid is then transformed into a solid spaghetti-like substance, which is finally dried and crushed into gelatine granules of various sizes. These processes are irreversible. In other words, the gelatine cannot be reverted back to skins or bones. Based on this ‘irreversible’ factor, Sheik Tajdine El Hilaly, the Mufti of Australia as well as the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa have both

advised by an expert, God fearing Muslim doctor. In Malaysia, the country’s Halal issuing body, the Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) strictly maintains that the use of gelatine is only permissible if it is sourced from a lawful animal and that the animal must be slaughtered within the confines of Shariah. Despite the various fatwas made in this regard, Muslims should actually do their own research and weigh in all the facts before taking a stand. All these different interpretations on gelatine have resulted in the differing of Halal standards by certifying bodies all over the world. “These differences of opinion are commonplace in the Muslim fiqh. One school of

Apart from its use in medicine capsules, gelatine is also widely used in desserts such as jelly, marshmallow, ice cream, jams, yogurt, cream cheese and margarines as well as in confectionaries such as gummy jelly and cereal bars. Industrially, gelatine acts as a binding agent for match heads and sandpaper. Gelatine also smoothes glossy printing papers or playing cards and maintains the wrinkles in crepe paper. Even some soft contact lenses are made of gelatine. issued fatwas allowing the use of all gelatine made from any animal source. They declared the status of the transformed product pure and clean, or tahir, irrespective of whether the original status of the product was unclean or impure. Most Hanafi fuqaha however consider gelatine as impure. Muhammad ibn Adam of Darul Iftaa from Leicester, UK wrote: “Firstly, it is difficult to establish where it is derived from, and secondly, the change it undergoes from its original state is not sufficient for it to be considered essential transformation.” However, they have given dispensations. According to Muhammad, a Muslim can consume a medicine encased in impure gelatine provided a) he reasonably knows that the medicine is effective, b) there are no permissible alternatives and c) this is 38 THE HALAL JOURNAL

thought usually respects the other school’s decision. This (differing of opinions) will most likely result in differences of standards formulated by the Halal governing body in each country,” noted Abdalhamid Evans, director of research and intelligence at KasehDia. “The important question is more towards the consumers’ knowledge and understanding of such issues, which then translates into choices and alternatives for one to decide,” said Hafiz of NatOleo. From a risk management point of view, companies would do well to invest money in R&D for new products to prepare for the various responses that can be expected from Muslim consumers. In the presence of doubt, Muslim consumers are often advised to discontinue or source for hj alternative substitutes.

finance update

New SME Bank

to Focus on New Sectors Newly launched SME Bank is ready to play a vital role to fastrack the development of small and medium-sized enterprise sector in Malaysia. Despite having more than 600,000 SMEs in Malaysia involved in a full spectrum of sectors and services, the industry contributes just six per cent to the Malaysian economy, a level considered by the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to be very low as compared to other developed nations. The majority of SMEs in Malaysia is still considered as micro businesses, with 81 per cent operating with less than five full time employees. This is compared to SMEs in Germany, Korea and Japan which contribute between 30 and 40 percent to their nation’s economy. “We realise that this requires large capital outlay and skill,” said Abdullah. “To further assist in the development of the SME industry, the government has allocated RM3.8 billion, of which RM1 billion will be used for SME Bank, while the rest are to be distributed to other government agencies and departments.” A product of merger between Bank Pembangunan & Infrastructure Malaysia Berhad and Bank Industry & Teknologi Malaysia Berhad, SME Bank was mandated to serve as a one-stop centre in providing both financial and advisory support to SMEs. “Currently, most of the bank’s customers are involved in the manufacturing, logistics, construction, real estate and tourism,” said Dato’ Gumuri Hussin, Chairman of SME Bank. “In line with the Government’s policies, the SME Bank would be focussing on new sectors such as the development of service providers, strategic industries within ICT, agrobased manufacturing, bio-technology and programmes for regional development.” Gumuri added that SME Bank had also formed strategic alliances with CIMB Group, Bumiputera-Commerce Bank Berhad and Perbadanan Nasional Berhad to share respective database on market information, industry linkages and panels of consultants and advisors. Since opening their doors in October 2005, SME Bank have reportedly received 4,000 hj inquiries and disbursed a total of RM335 million in loans.

From left; The Honourable Dato’ Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mr. Al-Jassar, Chairman of Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Berhad and Mr. Bader Al-Mukhaizeem, Group Chairman & Managing Director of Kuwait Finance House.

MALAYSIA TO BE REGIONAL ISLAMIC BANKING HUB Two areas have been outlined by Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi for Malaysia to become a premier international financial centre. First, Malaysia seeks to become a regional leader in the origination, issuance and trading of Islamic capital market. Second, Malaysia needs to become a centre of excellence for Islamic banking and finance education, training, consultancy and research. He said this at the launch of Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Berhad in February. He said the Malaysian government would continue to provide the necessary support in developing a sufficient pool of skilled and talented finance practitioners, not just for Malaysia but for the whole world. “It is my vision that having the requisite human capital will result in a strong, resilient and progressive Islamic financial services industry that will be able to integrate effectively into the international financial system,” Abdullah added. In this respect, Malaysia is offering a three-tiered talent development solution to the international financial community. First, the Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia and the Securities Industry Development Centre will provide technical training for Islamic banking, takaful and Islamic capital market. Second, an international centre for education in Islamic finance to provide professional certification; and third an international centre for leadership in finance as the centre for leadership training in Islamic financial services. “I am hopeful that all practitioners will utilise these training facilities to better serve the current and future needs of the ummah,” Abdullah said. As chairman of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), Malaysia also looks forward to the participation of Muslim investors in its Islamic financial services sector. Also in increasing trade and investment ties between Malaysia and the Muslim world, particularly from West Asia, where investment flows are still relatively small. Abdullah also said that he hoped the financial ties between Malaysia and the Islamic countries would eventually lead to greater economic integration and prosperity in the future. “Thus, the development and expansion of Islamic banking and finance should not be viewed merely as development of financial services, but also as an integral part of expanding trade and investment ties, especially among fellow OIC countries,” he added. Malaysia expects the market share of Islamic financial services to reach 20 per cent by 2010. The country’s Islamic banking assets currently stood at RM111.8 billion, constituting more than 11 percent of the total assets in the domestic banking system. The issuance of Islamic-based papers was at RM112.2 billion, accounting for 40 percent of the total outstanding private debt securities issued in the domestic capital market. hj THE HALAL JOURNAL 39

finance Purchasing a home for the family is one of the biggest investments in life. Several factors need to be taken into account, and while it may be tempting to compare Islamic ﬁnancing to that of conventional, Muslims ought to consider one key factor – freedom from riba’.

The Fundamentals of

Islamic Home Financing If a customer delays in payment, the bank may also impose a fixed, minimal amount of fee as a penalty. But unlike conventional home loans which impose a penalty from the outstanding balance of the loan, hence imposing interest on top of interest (compound interest), Islamic banks only impose a fixed, nominal fee on the amount in arrears, as determined by Bank Negara. The penalty is to discourage late or non-payment and is not for profit.

A MARKET SAMPLE OF THE PREVAILING ISLAMIC HOME LOANS OF SELECTED ISLAMIC BANKS AS AT 15/2/06

RHB Islamic Bank

Commerce Tijari

Financial Pricing Institution

AmBank

STEMMING FROM the basic desire to steer away from riba’ or usury, the Islamic banking industry is strengthening its foothold to be the most credible and viable alternative to conventional financing. Usury is typically defined as ‘the practice of charging money on money’. Therefore, Islamic home loans have been structured from the underlying Shariah principles of Bai’ Bithamin Ajil (BBA) and Ijarah to eliminate the premise for charging of interest. To make profits, Islamic financing transactions have been structured based on the most profitable form of business - trading. In a Bai’ Bithamin Ajil (BBA) home financing, the bank finances the purchase of an asset by buying it from the developer on behalf of its client. Since most home buyers sign the sale and purchase agreement with the developer first before getting bank financing, the bank purchases the asset from the customer and then re-sell it back at cost, plus a mark-up price. The customer will then repay the agreed sum in instalments which are fixed from the onset within an agreed period. According to Shariah, it is considered lawful in fiqh (jurisprudence) to charge a profit for goods sold and the price of the goods are based on a willing buyer willing seller basis. This does not amount to charging interest, since it is not a lending transaction but merely a trading one.

1st yr : 2.15% 2nd : 5.00% 3yrs - 10yrs : 7.25% 3yrs - 20yrs : 7.75% 3yrs - 30yrs : 8.15% 1st yr : 4.00% 2nd : 5.50% 3yrs - 10yrs : 7.25% 3yrs - 20yrs : 7.75% 3yrs - 30yrs : 8.15% Zero Entry Cost 1st : 1.50% 2nd : 4.50% Thereafter : 7.60% 1st : 1.25% 2nd : 3.00% Thereafter : 7.60% 1st : 1.50% 2nd : 4.00% Thereafter : 7.60% Free Moving Cost 1st : 4.50% 2nd : 5.50% Thereafter : 7.60% 1st yr : 4.5% 2nd yr : 6.00% 3rd to 12th year : 8.50% 8.25% (minimum)

Tenor

Margin of ﬁnancing

Fees

Up to 30 years or age 65 whichever is earlier

95% (MRTA)

Waived

Type of ﬁnancing

* Under construction * Residential Property * Completed * Residential Property

* Under construction * Min 30K and above Up to 32 years or age of 65 whichever is earlier

Up to 30 years or age of 65 whichever is earlier

Up to 12 yrs

RM30K - RM750K (90% + 5% MRTA) RM750,001 - RM1.5mil (85% + 5% MRTA)

Processing (Waived)

Above RM1.5mil (80% + 5% MRTA)

* Under construction * Min 70K and above * Completed * Min 70K and above * Completed * Min 70K and above

Companies: 80% or 85% (MRTA) Individuals: 70% or 75% (MRTA)

Not waived

Under construction Completed

THE HALAL JOURNAL

With the fixed rate instalment mechanism, customers know exactly what they are getting into right from the beginning. In other words, with a fixed rate BBA home loan, home buyers are safeguarded against the threat of an interest rate spike. From a customer’s perspective, fixed rate BBA home loans offer the best deal and protection, especially when interest rates are on the rise. There is also a development within the financial market – a floating rate BBA home loan that

According to Shariah, it is considered lawful in fiqh (jurisprudence) to charge a profit for goods sold and the price of the goods are based on a willing buyer willing seller basis. This does not amount to charging interest, since it is not a lending transaction but merely a trading one.

42 THE HALAL JOURNAL

is equipped with a cap or a ceiling rate. Though it is a floating facility (advantageous when the interest rate is low), customers still have the certainty that their obligation is capped at a certain maximum. In other words, in a low or high interest rate regime, customers of this new floating rate BBA home loan are safeguarded. Needless to say, this type of loan is proving to be very popular among consumers. Badlisyah Abdul Ghani, Head of CIMB Islamic explains: “Due to the fixed rate nature of most BBA home financing, those with such financings will not be affected by the increase of BLR (base lending rate). This feature is a sure selling point since this type of

financing is cheaper than the conventional floating rate loan in a rising interest rate regime. The level of monthly instalment remains the same without adversely affecting the tenure of the financing.” Another form of Islamic home loan available in some other Muslim countries and increasingly in Malaysia, is based on the Shariah concept of Ijara or leasing. Under this concept, the bank would buy the property and lease it out to their customers, who will then pay an agreed monthly rental to the bank. This rental amount will be reviewed and agreed upon by both parties on a predetermined interval, e.g. annually, semi-annually or even monthly. This revision of rental at an agreed interval forms the basis of floating rate for Ijara home financing.

“Due to the fixed rate nature of most BBA home financing, those with such financings will not be affected by the increase of BLR (base lending rate). This feature is a sure selling point since this type of financing is cheaper than the conventional floating rate loan in a rising interest rate regime.”

Over time, this would be a more common form of Islamic home financing as it is being encouraged by the Malaysian government. Insiders point out that it could be bigger than the existing BBA home loans, even more popular than the conventional home loans as the Ijara offers a real alternative to conventional floating rate home loans, making it more appealing to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. As it is, only Hong Leong Islamic Bank offers Ijara based home loans in Malaysia while others are still finalising some of its salient features adopted from other Islamic financial products. “CIMB Islamic has done this in the bond market and we believe that the benefits

of the Ijara concept can be featured into normal Islamic banking products and services. We shall be applying our experience in the bond market to roll out products and services for consumer banking products,” said Badlisyah. Knowing full well one’s commitment right from the beginning is the right of the home buyers. Islamic home loans, which stem from the basic premise of Islamic financing to eliminate both interest (riba’) and uncertainty (gharar) from financial transactions, should provide the peace of mind against any adverse rise in interest rate. The peace of mind regardless of the interest rate trend. You are afterall also paying for your hj ‘home’ in the afterlife.

THE HALAL JOURNAL

finance update

CIMB ISLAMIC KEEN TO BE KEY FINANCIER FOR HALAL INITIATIVES

CIMB Islamic intends to be the primary source of financing for any Halal-related initiatives.

“Halal business and Islamic banking are in fact natural allies,” said CIMB group head of Islamic banking division Badlisyah Abdul Ghani.He said this at the cheque presentation ceremony for the platinum sponsorship of the World Halal Forum scheduled to take place this May. Badlisyah said it was natural for CIMB Islamic to be financing and supporting Halal business. “The value of this international event on the Halal economy is advancing the development of the ummah,” he said.

“CIMB Islamic is delighted to be associated with the World Halal Forum as the Platinum Sponsor. As a leading bank in the financial market globally, we believe this is the opportune time to bring the Islamic financial market into the fold of the wider Halal world economy.’’ “Halal business covers a wide span of economic activities, from farming to manufacturing and processing of food, from selling food in stalls by the roadside to the import and export of commodities between nations, from car manufacturing to infrastructure building. “These activities rely substantially on the financial market to facilitate their transactions and Islamic banking and finance industry is the only natural ally to all types of Halal activities,” said Badlisyah. As a leading bank in the Islamic financial market globally, CIMB Islamic believes that the inherent synergy between Islamic financial institutions and other Halal industry players can be harnessed to complete the Halal value chain. “When one does Halal business, one must finance such business with Halal funding, which banks like CIMB Islamic could help facilitate,” added Badlisyah. “CIMB Islamic is delighted to be associated with the World Halal Forum as the Platinum Sponsor. As a leading bank in the financial market globally, we believe this is the opportune time to bring the Islamic financial market into the fold of the wider

Halal world economy. We also believe that the World Halal Forum 2006 would achieve greater success this year and in the future as the catalyst for growth of the world Halal economy,” added Badlisyah. CIMB Islamic heads the list of sponsors for the World Halal Forum pouring in from various sectors of the industry. The forum, scheduled to be held from May 8 – 10 in Kuala Lumpur, will be one of the world’s most significant meeting on Halal business, where global business leaders are expected to shape the way Halal is being analysed, applied and appreciated within the global business arena. Also present during the ceremony was World Halal Forum chairman Khairy Jamaluddin, who reiterates that the Halal industry is not just about food, it encompasses various other sectors including banking and finance. “The Halal industry is often associated with food, but it has also seen tremendous development in various sectors including banking, logistics, pharmaceuticals and the entire supply chain with the retail value estimated to be around USD150 billion a year,” said Khairy. He also added that the Halal industry needs one centralised agency to oversee the development of Malaysia’s Halal initiatives and help drive the Halal economy. “There needs to be some coordination between the different ministries, as the Halal industry is lucrative enough for us to set up an agency,” Khairy added. For more information about the forum, visit www.worldhalalforum.org or call The Exporters Club hj at +603 7880 0413. THE HALAL JOURNAL 45

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QIDSschool

2006 MAR+APR THE

HALAL

JOURNAL

LIVING

QUR’ANIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM ‘FULLA’ THE MUSLIM BARBIE ISLAMIC WORLD WEBSITE CHILDREN OF ADAM VIDEO DUBAI’S TOP CAFES THE DEAL WITH MUSLIMAH FASHION

“When we teach the children, we follow the four concepts within Islam. We introduce every subject first with Iman. Then there is Ilmu, which is the subject’s content, and Amal, which is how one uses the knowledge to benefit his life and the lives of others. Within these three processes of Iman, Ilmu and Amal, we hope it would lead them to Ehsan, a state of protective being. Within the works of scholars, this is stated as the perfect methodology in teaching and learning,” Founder and chairman of QIDS Education Foundation Rozzi Abdul Wahab

THE HALAL JOURNAL LIVING

people “How many children below the age of seven actually get to play these days?” asked Rozzi Abdul Wahab, founder and chairman of QIDS Education Foundation. This is an interesting question to answer in the age where competition and classes for children start quite soon after they are born. The Halal Journal found an establishment that has brought the idea of ‘balance’ to another level.

Instilling

fAiTH

in Education

rophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) conveyed that all children should be allowed to play until the age of seven. Between the ages of seven to fourteen, children should be given knowledge. Only by the age of fifteen should the youngsters be exposed to the outside world, with the parents staying close for guidance. With the pace of today’s hectic world, children are hardly getting enough time to rest, let alone to play. Often, Muslim children go to a ‘normal’ school and after that the ‘religious’ school. This may be followed by music lessons or tuition, sometime at night. “Parents think that they are supporting the child’s development by sending them to one class after another. The child is not a robot; they are human beings who have souls,” said Rozzi. “Everybody is giving all sorts of instructions to them; actually the child gets what is from the parent’s heart and soul, and it goes down into their hearts and soul. Especially when they are young, they are at the soul level more than we are as adults.” The people behind QIDS obviously believe that something different must be taught at school.

50 THE HALAL JOURNAL LIVING

QIDS stands for Quranic Intelligence Development System. It is an educational methodology that uses faith as a catalyst for ‘developing the human potential’. QIDS Integrated School was developed through extensive research and contributions from world-renowned psychologists and university professors including Prof. Dr. Malik Badri, Prof. Dr. Uthman El Muhammady and Haji Abbas Hassan who contributed many hours of critical thinking in assisting with the development of the curriculum. Focusing on exploring and developing the child’s natural potential, QIDS utilises fun and simple methods of teaching children. Arts and crafts, practical life skills and educational adventures are given due importance for the development of children’s imaginary skills, critical thinking, relationship building and coordination. QIDS students also take part in public

speaking and annual dramas to promote creativity and selfexpression. “When we teach the children, we follow the four concepts within Islam; we introduce every subject first with iman. Then there is ilmu, which is the content, and amal, which is how one uses the knowledge to benefit their life and the lives of others. Within these three processes of iman, ilmu and amal, we hope it would lead them to ehsan, a state of protective being. Within the works of scholars, this is stated as the perfect methodology in teaching and learning,” Rozzi said. Rozzi explained there were marked differences between Western and Islamic worldviews and that it was important for people to understand the implications they bring. “Western philosophy of human nature states that human beings are born empty and learning or instilling knowledge within us is vital to maintain one’s purpose in life. Because humans descended from animals, animalistic qualities are often emphasised. “Whereas, within the Islamic perspective, man was already created for a purpose, and that is to become caliphs (leaders). The whole universe was created

“Allah has actually instilled

within our souls the knowledge of creation... it can be rekindled if we were given the right kind of stimulation, which is essentially tawhid. So the purpose on why we created QIDS is because we wanted to develop these high levels of human intelligence that existed within us, by stimulating human intelligence from the perspective of human nature based on Al Quran and As-Sunnah.” for man and with that, Allah has actually instilled within our souls the knowledge of creation,” she said. “Of course, when we were born, we lose a bit of that memory, but it can be rekindled if we were given the right kind of stimulation, which is essentially tawhid. So the purpose on why we created QIDS is because we wanted to develop these high levels of human intelligence that existed within us, by stimulating human intelligence from the perspective of human nature based on Al Quran and As-Sunnah.” Rozzi also said “As caliphs, all of Allah’s creations were made to assist us

in fulfilling our responsibilities to Allah. When we teach them in that context, by the time they learn about who they are, they will understand their purpose and responsibilities. Everything else will make perfect sense.” Using Allah’s process of creation as a teaching principle, Primary 1 QIDS students will be taught, through story telling, how in the beginning there was only Allah. They will learn everything about the Almighty, including His attributes and His essence. In

Primary 2 the students will be exposed to Allah’s many creations, including the plants and animals. By Primary 3, students will then progress to learn about the creation of man, and discover how they, as human beings, are inextricably connected to every part of nature. While QIDS is compliant to the national curriculum for primary and secondary schools, it also integrates Qur’anic studies like tahfiz and tilawah Al-Qur’an, Islamic hj Studies and Arabic language. THE HALAL JOURNAL LIVING

browsing Book Review

Website Review ISLAMIC WORLD

Romantic Relationships in Islam: Understanding How Love Functions Within Islam

www.islamic-world.net

Muhammed Amin Ibrahim (iUniverse, Inc.)

The purpose of the book is simple – to provide a quick and authentic account of the relationship between love and sex from an Islamic viewpoint. Using verses from the Qur’an and hadith, the author deals with romantic affairs and explains the gist of how the life of a Muslim should be, with regards to love and marriage, true and fake love, and love and sex. In clear and compelling language, Muhammed Amin shows that true love should inevitably lead to marriage and that love does not mean sex, and vice-versa. This is a suitable book for teens and adults alike, and is particularly an eye-opener for youngsters (and adults) who do not know where to draw the line between love and sex; fake and true love.

Barbie with Muslim values Popular play doll Barbie has found her match - Fulla, a ‘Muslim’ doll dressed in a traditional Islamic headscarf and overdress, and even comes with her own pink felt prayer rug! Syrian-based creators New Boy Design Studio launched the doll in 2003 and sales have been strong in the Middle East and North Africa. Described by her creator as having “Islamic values”, parents who would not want to buy Barbies for their daughters are now opting for Fullas instead.

52 THE HALAL JOURNAL LIVING

Fawaz Abidin, the Fulla brand manager, said, “You have to create a character that parents and children will want to relate to. She’s honest, loving and caring, and she respects her father and mother”. A career woman, Fulla is still single but unlike Barbie who has Ken as her longstanding boyfriend, she has no plans to be in a relationship. However, a Doctor Fulla and Fulla the teacher are in the cards - both respected careers for women.

This official site for the Khalifah Institute offers a wide range of Islamic knowledge and scholarly resources. The site offers an innovative world view, presented through the language and concepts of modern science and logic, but consistent with the traditional beliefs and practices of Islam. Aside from excellent content on parenting and education, the site houses a forum section, blogs and a host of audio and videos clips to present its ideas. Check out Jannah: Child of Paradise developed in association with the Multimedia University and a three-part Understanding the Development of the Human Personality and Soul. An informative and eye opening site.

The Islamic answer to Barbie dolls wears modest clothes, just a hint of makeup and has a less curvaceous figure than her American rival. Her extensive wardrobe has been modernised for the Egyptian market to include jeans and the type of colourful headscarves worn by many young Muslim women. Tarek Mohammed, sales manager at Cairo’s Toys‘R’Us said, “Fulla sells better because she is closer to our Arab values - she never reveals an arm or a leg.” The surge in sales of Muslim-based toys comes amid new enthusiasm in Islam. Parents are realising that Barbies are a decadent symbol of the West and Saudi Arabia’s recent decision to ban Barbie along with her “revealing clothes and shameful postures” are prove of this new enthusiasm. “Fulla is one of us but Barbie is still a stranger,” says Mohammed al-Sabbagh, a manager at Space Toon, Damascus’s leading toy store. “Fulla is my sister, my wife, my mother. She comes from the same culture. The other thing for me, as a parent, is about what I want for my child. Barbie has a boyfriend and a bikini and so on, which is not our style in the Middle East.” Fulla is named for a fragrant flower found in the Middle East. Although she is marketed with a range of funky clothes, furniture, jewellery and grooming equipment (all sold separately of course), she has no swimwear. Fulla does share a similarity with Barbie however, they are both born in China.

browsing CD Reviews I LOOK, I SEE > YUSUF ISLAM

Released in 2003, ‘I Look, I See’ contains nine lively and inspirational songs for young children. Each song follows a brief introduction of the deeds of the Prophets, the five pillars of Islam and other Islamic practices. This short teaching is a new and melodic approach in helping children learn the beauty of Creation, good morals and love for God and His final messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Yusuf Islam sings the title song and is accompanied by his young friends from South Africa and Britain, including Zain Bhikha’s nine-year old son Rasheed. A nice and fun addition for the young ones. Purchase online at www.jamalrecords.com/ilookisee.

Dubai’s Top Cafes Dubai’s grand scale entertainment projects and dream homes have

attracted the likes of David Beckham and Rod Stewart. This is just in case you find yourself there on a business trip or shopping for gold.

Apple Café & Restaurant Twin Towers, 3rd Floor, Creekside Rd, Deira

This Iranian restaurant was a great discovery with an all-you-can-eat buffet with a view. And what a view it has. Head straight out to the terrace upstairs and dine while overlooking The Creek. Just the spectacular view from here is worth the visit. A popular hang-out for young locals and sheisha-smoking friends, Apple Café offers excellent choices of mocktails and the sumptuous spread on the buffets that includes hot and cold Lebanese dishes. Overall a great value for money; leaving you feeling like you just had a taste of the real Dubai. Open: Mon – Sun, 11.30am – 5pm, 7pm – 1am | Tel: 227 4446 Buffet: Dhs30 | Specialty: All-you-can-eat buffet, a great view

“CHILDREN OF ADAM” SERIES

This is a 13part video series that could easily be called the Islamic Sesame Street for its educational pre-school content that combines education and entertainment within an Islamic theme. This Malaysianmade production uses puppets, animations and friends, featuring interesting topics like Allah The Creator, Mum and Dad, Charity and Patience. Each story is supported by original music scores written by established Malaysian music producers. This delightfully colourful and entertaining VCD series are suitable for kids of all ages. Priced at RM13.50, it can be purchased at Saba Islamic Media stores or online at www.saba.com.my.

Elements Café www.elements-cafe.com | Wafi City, Al Qutaeyat Rd, Umm Hureir

This is an excellent place for a world fusion menu. The seating and ambiance is cosy enough for you to ‘chill out’ as the welcoming sign suggests. There is an impressive array of choices covering a few continents, including antipasti, soups, eggs, pasta, grills, sandwiches, tapas and sushi as well as English, French, Arabic or Brazilian breakfasts. Good choices of pastas and sauces allow you to mix and match while the tapas and sushi are equally impressive. The mocktails promise to cleanse, energise and refresh you, so if you need to refuel after that intense retail therapy in Wafi Mall, this is the place. Open: Sat – Thurs 11am – 11pm, Fri 12pm – 11pm. | Tel: 324 4252 Directions: Wafi Mall, Level 1, opposite Starbuck's | Speciality: Chicken beetroot and red apple risotto. Roasted duck with pumpkin risotto, crispy helwayoo with tappenade | Prices: Starters Dhs 8 – 26, Main Dhs 32 – 52, Dessert - Dhs 19 - 28

THE HALAL JOURNAL LIVING

on display

WHAT’S NEW, WHAT’S HALAL, WHAT’S ON DISPLAY?

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.

Roselle Flower Drink

Monrose’s range of products is derived from the roselle flower or hibiscus sabdariffa, a member of the hibiscus family. Specific sterilisation method secures its nutrients particularly its herbal compounds, enzymes and vitamins to offer nutritious roselle juices. High in vitamin C and D, roselle also possess antioxidant and antiseptic properties useful in relieving cough, indigestion and constipation, as well as helping the body build good defence system. In addition to concentrated roselle cordials, Monrose also manufacture rosellebased jams, jelly, herbal tea and a variety of other consumer foods that not are only nutritional but also taste great. For more info, contact Monrose Sdn. Bhd. at 03-8922 3150 or email monrose@tm.net.my

Franch Oil NH

This natural herb widely used in India claims to lessen or cure a variety of ailments – from skinrelated rashes to muscle and joints, from burns to hair loss, even pregnancy stretch marks and black spots. Made from the extracts of ricinus cummunis or castor beans, it is widely used by the Jamaican Maroons as a cleansing agent. Franch Oil also claims to possess anti-fungal, anti-microbial and antiinflammatory properties. It is Halal certified by a Malaysian State Islamic Department and is approved by the Malaysian Ministry of Health for local market. This Ayurvedic proprietary medicine also feels a bit sticky. www.franchoil.com

Tongkat Ali + Apple Juice to the Rescue

EMA Health Tongkat Ali + Apple juice is essentially a 3-in-1 drink for energy, health and anti-oxidant. It is developed by the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) in collaboration with EMA Health Sdn. Bhd. Added with Tongkat Ali water-soluble extract, the drink provides testosterone boost for men. Users of Tongkat Ali claim the product is good for male’s sexual performance, helps in muscle build-up, increases red blood cells and speeding up recovery. FRIM has succeeded in taking the bitter taste from the Tongkat Ali but leaving its invigorating properties in a sparkling apple juice. For more information, contact EMA Health Sdn. Bhd. at +603 2166 5555 or email aisah@jagat.com.my

Seapack’s Frozen Seafood Loaker Quadratini Wafers

For over 80 years, the name Loacker has been associated with the production of crispy, wholesome wafer biscuits and chocolate specialities. These words not only describe the company’s philosophy regarding its products, but identify how Loacker wafer biscuits and chocolate specialities are: mouth-wateringly delicious, minus the guilt. Made entirely of natural ingredients, they contain no hydrogenated fats, no artificial flavours, no colourings, no preservatives, and no alcohol or ingredients of animal origin. This product of Italy is also non-genetically modified and accompanied by a quality and Halal guarantee issued from Germany’s Halal certification body, Halal Control e.K. So take a bite, savour the taste, chew it - or nibble the top layer and lick off the cream filling, all with the guilt-free feeling of knowing its Halal and healthy, Halalan tayyiban. www.loaker.com

54 THE HALAL JOURNAL LIVING

Seapack Food Sdn Bhd is recognised as a reputable manufacturer of surimi-based products. Surimi is minced fish meat that has been leached by washing with water, mixed with sugar and other additives, frozen and then transformed to resemble the texture, taste and appearance of seafood such as crabs, lobsters and prawns. It has certifications from JAKIM (Halal), British Retailer’s Consortium, ISO 9001:2000, Ministry of Health’s HACCP and was recently awarded the ‘Malaysian Superbrand’ status. Found in most supermarkets and hypermarkets across Malaysia, Seapack’s frozen seafood makes for a delicious snack at home or while entertaining guests. For sales inquiries, either call +604 - 399 7306 or email spkbiz@pd.jaring.my or surf www.seapackfood.com

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parting words

is Muslim Fashion

boring?

Ask different people and you’ll get different answers to this question. The Halal Journal nevertheless stumbled upon someone who stood out amongst the sea of black burkhas and the commonplace flesh-bearing ‘clothes’. She strikes as someone warm and friendly, and is all out championing ‘stylish, modest and decent clothes’ which is to her what ‘Muslimah wear’ should be. Here’s Datin Melor Wati Darus, a self professed lover of fashion, designer and owner of Melor’s Apparel. What are your clothes about? We focus a lot on attires that possess muslimah values and concept, meaning Islamic attires. We focus on creating creative and contemporary fashion meant for muslimah. Our creations are up-to-date, in terms of colours, styling, cutting and so forth, so that we can present a true Islamic fashion that would have a wider acceptance- not too orthodox or too Islamic that it could be misleading.

Who are your fashions for? Not necessarily for the Malays. Islam has touched the hearts of many Muslims that comes from a different variety of countries, cultures and creeds. That is why I think there’s a lot we can do with fashion, we are not bounded by any factors, and there is no limit. But many people misunderstand this. They say that if you cannot

see the shape of the body, then the dress cannot have cutting whatsoever, just straight all the way. Not seeing the body shape simply means that it does not cling to the body, but it must have its own cutting.

In terms of your design, what is most important? Comfort. For us, before we start with any designs and even with those we have produced before, it must start with the comfort factor. It means that whatever type of fabric that we are using, the design must be comfortable enough for anybody to wear. It shouldn’t be too tight, too thick or too heavy. And it must project the lifestyle of the wearer.

“ You can see that there is a potential, because even though the wearer is a non-Muslim, they still want to wear decent clothing.” How does ‘decent clothing’ or Muslimah wear fare in the general fashion industry? The potential is undeniably huge. I travel a lot to these fashion capitals of the world, either in Europe or in the Middle East, and I tend to get very exposed with the latest trends. You can see that there is a potential, because even though the wearer is a non-Muslim, they still want to wear decent clothing. So when even the non-Muslims desire decent clothing, it is quite obvious that there is a huge demand for them, and we are able to give these variations to fashion lovers hj all over the world. 56 THE HE HALAL JOURNAL