BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 19-Aug-07

THE over one billion Muslims spread over the globe and the restriction of their consumption choices to only halal or permissible products have generated a highly lucrative halal products industry, with halal food and beverage alone worth in excess of hundreds of billions of dollars per year and growing.

This burgeoning global demand for halal products is a testament of rising awareness of Muslims towards their religious obligations of consuming only halal items, keynote speaker Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Hj Awang Abd Aziz Begawan Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Seri Paduka Hj Awang Umar said.

Speaking in the Brunei International Halal Expo 2007 seminar, he said that the growth of the halal industry demonstrates that "there is real and tangible economic gain to be made from a positive affirmation of Islamic identity." Accompanying the rising demand is a growing need for reliable authorities to assure a product's "halal-ness", said Pehin Dato Hj Awang Abd Aziz.

This need arose as some unscrupulous producers would claim their products to be halal when they are not, and threatened Muslim consumer confidence. In response to such concerns, seals of approval or endorsement have been sought from well-known Muslim organisations or authorities to assure the halal-ness of certain products. The practice marked a change in not just marketing, but also Muslim jurisprudence, said the speaker.

The obligation to consume only halal products was previously only a fardhu 'ain, or an individual's own responsibility. Now with the clout of the halal seal, ensuring halal consumption has become a collective responsibility, or fardhu kifayah. Misuse of the halal seal do occur, however. The prevalence of such abuse of trust has given rise to another trend - the demand for a reliable authority to guarantee halal-ness. "Once the Muslim consumer perceives an authority as a reliable source of 'halal-ness', the demand from producers to attach themselves to such an authority is a natural outcome of market forces," said the speaker.

These "commercialised halal-guaranteeing authorities" can provide more efficient modes of verification in tandem with market demands, he added, and may eventually lead to the provision of universally recognised standards. They would first have to secure Muslim consumer confidence by establishing certain policy and regulatory standards, with a central focus on ensuring what is consumed is permissible according to shari'ah. "The bottom line is that whatever requirements needed to declare a product halal must be consistently met for the sole reason that we are all accountable before Allah."

In this regard the government plays a crucial role, Pehin Dato Hj Awang Abd Aziz noted. It needs to clearly separate between the commercialised authorising body responsible to issue a halal guarantee, and the establishment of criteria and standards that should be met. In addition, "such standards must be protected, such that no dilution or infringements occur."

The Brunei Halal brand is a case in point. The policies and regulatory standards assumed by the brand are established by law, and as such products that do not meet the conditions set by Brunei law cannot be declared halal.

The speaker remarked that the Brunei Halal Brand venture was initiated by the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources with the Brunei Islamic Council and the Health Ministry to utilise the country's halal laws as an authoritative basis for commercial branding. "The laws surrounding halal meat and the conditions that must be met to gain halal recognition has long been established," said Pehin Dato Hj Awang Abd Aziz.

However, although a purely commercial venture, the brand is still subject to numerous governmental regulations and procedures and the speaker stressed changes are needed if the country wants to compete in the international stage. "The relevant governmental authorities must now clearly define all policies, rules and regulations to the related agencies, with the sole purpose of removing all unnecessary bureaucratic progress through a clear delegation of authority," he said.

The Brunei Times