Malaysia offers to become advisor to Japan's halal industry

TOKYO: Malaysia has offered to become the advisor to Japan's halal industry that holds great potential for halal products.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the demand for halal products was expected to increase during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
"Athletes and tourists from Islamic countries will need halal food and products during the Olympic Games in 2020," he told Malaysian journalists Wednesday night at the end of his three-day working visit to Japan.
Tokyo will host the Summer Olympics in August 2020. The city last hosted the Olympic Games in 1964.
Najib said he conveyed the offer to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a meeting at the latter's office here.
He said he informed Abe that there was a growing interest among tourists, including from Malaysia, to visit Japan and this created a great demand for halal products.
The halal standards of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) had high credibility and were accepted by the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations, he said.
"Halal products here will be easily accepted if Malaysia is appointed as advisor to Japan's halal industry," he said.
During a visit to Japan last May, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also chairman of the Malaysian Halal Council, raised the matter of Jakim halal standards at a meeting with his counterpart Taro Aso, who is also Japan's Minister of Finance.
A total of 54 certification bodies in 32 countries and four authorities from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have obtained halal certification from Jakim. — Bernama