KUCHING, Nov 8 — The Halal Development Corporation Bhd (HDC) will propose to the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) that an additional edition of the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (Mihas) be held in Sarawak next year.

HDC chief executive officer Hairol Ariffein Sahari noted that Matrade had announced last September that Mihas 2023 will only be held at the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) from September 12 to 15, 2023.

"I will return to Kuala Lumpur and discuss with Matrade chief executive officer (Datuk Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz) and I am also convinced that the secretary-general of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali) will convene a meeting to deliberate on the proposal,” he told the media after the opening ceremony of Budget 2022 Initiative in conjunction with the Jelajah Halal Malaysia (Malaysia Halal Tour) 2022 today.

He was responding to the call by the Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali for the exhibition to be also held in Sarawak next year.

Earlier, Sharifah Hasidah suggested the idea when reading Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg’s opening speech.

In the speech, Abang Johari said that until last August, 746 premises in the state have received their halal certificate recognition and garnered interest among tourists from Middle Eastern countries as well as Muslim-friendly investments.

The HDC programme today, which continues until Thursday (Nov 10), serves as a platform to create strategic collaboration between HDC and the state government while boosting the performance of halal industry players and its ecosystem in Sarawak. — Bernama