OPENING REMARKS BY
H.E. DATO’ KENNEDY JAWAN
AMBASSADOR OF MALAYSIA TO JAPAN
AT THE HALAL BUSINESS FORUM 2020
WITH TASTE OF MALAYSIA
VISION CENTER HAMAMATSUCHO, TOKYO
31 JANUARY 2020
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Konnichiwa and welcome to the “Halal Business Forum 2020 with Taste of Malaysia”
First and foremost, I take this opportunity to thank all of you who have made today’s program a reality. It is very heartening to see such a wonderful audience who are present here this afternoon.
- Our Forum today is part of the overall initiative to bolster Malaysia’s halal industry. Under Malaysia’s “Shared Prosperity Vision 2030” the making of Malaysia as a halal and food hub has been identified as one of the 15 proposed Key Economic Growth Areas of the country.
- As everyone here might have known, halal is a term designating not only food or object but also action, which is permissible to be used or engaged in accordance with Islamic law. It is a term that applies to all facets of life including food, food ingredients, and cosmetics, among others. In short, it is a lifestyle.
- Ladies and Gentlemen: One of the most basic and important question pertaining to halal is whether halal food / product or a halal lifestyle can be practiced by all.
- The answer is an obvious “yes”. Malaysia is one of the countries in the world where, for example, halal foods and et cetera are consumed virtually by people of various races and creeds for ages.
- Hence, if a business or company manufactures or sell or distributes halal food or products, it could tap the Muslim consumer market as well. It was reported that in 2017 the Muslim population is estimated at approximately 1.8 billion out of an estimated 7 billon world population. While Muslims worldwide spent an estimated USD 2.1 trillion in that year, the prospects and opportunities for the halal industry are excellent as you would tap not only the muslim consumers but also the non-muslim consumers.
Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
- I am pleased to inform that Malaysia has a comprehensive ecosystem in the halal industry. We have established a standard and certification for halal products, which are supervised and monitored by the Malaysia Islamic Development Department. Thus, our products are highly regarded by international buyers.
- In 2018, Japan imported more than MYR2 billion (Yen 61 billion) worth of food ingredients, food and beverages, cosmetic and personal care, among others, from Malaysia. We hope to increase the trade of halal food or products between our two countries even further.
- As for Malaysian food, it is a product of culinary evolution involving various cuisines including Malay, Indian and Chinese that would delight even a discerning palate. I hope that you would be able to sample the delectable delights that have been specially brought by the exhibitors during the latter part of today’s Forum.
- If you want to experience or savor more that Malaysia has to offer, I am pleased to inform you that the 2020 has been designated as the Visit Malaysia Year or Mare-sha Kankou Nen. A lot of events and exciting activities have been lined up for tourists from Japan and other countries. I hope that you would seize this opportunity to visit Malaysia – a country of beautiful beaches, and pristine national parks, among others.
- Before I conclude, I wish all Malaysian participants the very best in showcasing and promoting their products and concluding as many deals as possible.
- As for our distinguished Japanese participants, I sincerely hope that the Forum could enlighten you further on Malaysia, Malaysian food and halal related matters.
Thank you and Go Seicho Arigato Gozamashita.