KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) collected RM12,153,640 in halal certification fees in 2023.

Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs, said the fees collected over the past 11 years have seen a significant increase since 2012 when Jakim collected only over RM3 million in revenue then.

"The total collection of halal certification fees received by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and the State Islamic Religious Council (Main) or State Islamic Religious Department (Jain) throughout Malaysia from 2012 to 2023 is RM80,032,254.43,” Na’im said in the Dewan Rakyat today.

The number of halal certificate holders is also up, compared to 4,000 holders in 2012, the minister said.

The total number of Malaysian halal certificate holders entered a record-breaking five digits last year with 11,161 holders.

Mohd Na’im was also asked by Labis MP Pang Hok Liong to clarify allegations that Jakim officers were corrupt.

The minister said there has been no evidence so far, and that he has asked Jakim’s director to investigate such claims.