Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

WEDNESDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2019, KUALA LUMPUR: World’s largest halal trade fair, the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2020, is set to host Malaysian and global Halal-based businesses at its 17th edition from 1 to 4 April 2020. In this edition, MIHAS will be facilitating the promotion of sustainability practices among Halal-based industry players.

Themed as “Expand Your Halal Horizon”, MIHAS 2020 will feature more than 1,200 booths of companies from Malaysia and from ASEAN, North East Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, Africa and Americas. In addition, the event is expecting over 35,000 visitors from 90 countries. The congregation is set to be MIHAS largest yet since its inception in 2004.

Participants of MIHAS will include Halal-certified and trade-ready companies, buyers, leading brands, manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers. Organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), MIHAS 2020 will showcase the strengths of various sectors in Halal namely Food & Beverages, Food Technology Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetics, Logistics, Tourism, Islamic Finance, Digital and Franchise.

According to MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Wan Latiff Wan Musa, 2020 will be a significant year for Malaysia as it operationalises various plans to drive Malaysia’s sustainability agenda. “Sustainability promotes responsible businesses and good practices that emphasise responsibilities towards the environment, social and governance. This is very much in line with United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals or the SDGs. Halal and sustainability when practiced together will lead to the Halalan Toyyiban lifestyle and we need to articulate this to the world through MIHAS,” Wan Latiff said.

“For example, Halal gives guidelines on the production, processing and handling of products that ensure the contents used do not carry any matter that is prohibited by Syariah law, impure, or detrimental to health. It also warrants the processes adopted are safe and do not bring any hazards to the environment and people. At the core of the guidelines, we can see a strong emphasis on being environmentally friendly, safeguarding the well-being of the living (humans and animals), fair trade – a value that we champion through Free Trade Agreements, and ethical and just business practices that Islamic Finance exemplifies,”

“These are what make Halal and sustainability a perfect match for businesses to strengthen their value proposition when selling to the world, while at the same time protecting the world and society. This will definitely give Malaysian exporters a long-term strategic advantage,” Wan Latiff explained.

Apart from the showcase of Halal products and services at the exhibition, MIHAS will also feature a highly effective business matching platform called International Sourcing Programme (INSP) that has, since 2005 attracted more than 4,300 buyers from around the world who were matched with Malaysian companies. Other than that, MIHAS 2020 will offer quality networking and learning opportunities through spacious and improved experiential zones and industry-renowned fora as well as talks by experts from various Halal industries.

Last year’s MIHAS saw the introduction of the Modest Fashion Cluster – where a total of 48 companies and associations were highlighted. â€œMIHAS 2020 will further strengthen Malaysia’s position as a global halal hub and put forward the economic values of Halal for the world. The prospects for Halal-based businesses continue to be strong. Based on Thomson Reuters (State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2019/20), the global Islamic economy in 2018 was worth USD4.74 trillion and is expected to grow to USD6.66 trillion in 2024,” Wan Latiff added.

In the same report, Malaysia once again leads the Global Islamic Economy Indicator (GIEI), reflecting a robust Islamic Economy ecosystem, with Malaysia leading the pack in pioneering the growth of the Islamic economy in various sectors. Key sectors that will drive the Islamic economy include Halal Food (to be valued at USD2 trillion by 2024), Modest Fashion (USD402 billion) , Media & Recreation (USD309 billion), Muslim-Friendly Travel (USD274 billion), Halal Pharmaceuticals (USD134 billion), Halal Cosmetics (USD95 billion) and Islamic Finance (USD3.5 trillion).

MIHAS 2020 will be held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and supported by CIMB Islamic, GISB Holdings, Ramly Food Processing Sdn Bhd of better known as Ramly Burger and Big Onion Food Caterer. Interested companies keen to take part in MIHAS 2020 can register at www.mihas.com.my.