SHAH ALAM, Oct 5 — Continuous efforts by the government to promote Malaysia’s Halal certification globally have resulted in 88 foreign halal certification bodies being recognised by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said that based on statistics as of May, it covers 49 countries, including China, South Korea and Japan, adding that the bodies are tasked with issuing halal certification for foreign products entering the Malaysian market.

"The mechanism for halal certification at the international level is accreditation by JAKIM as the authoritative body in the country to foreign halal certification bodies.

"Based on the intense development of the global halal industry, we expect the number of applications and those receiving accreditation to rise,” he said after launching the ‘Makanan Halal: Selera Dunia’ programme here today.

On the issue of fake halal certificates, Mohd Na’im said the situation was still under control with enforcement being conducted by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) in accordance with the Trade Descriptions Act 2011.

He said that JAKIM as the agency responsible for halal certification, always works with KPDN to conduct enforcement against fake halal certification.

"If JAKIM receives a complaint, it will coordinate with KPDN to conduct observation and legal enforcement, thought currently we find the situation under control,” he said, adding that such cases usually involve public markets, grocery shops and small supermarkets. — Bernama