The Kuala Lumpur-Istanbul Halal Industry Corridor Opens Doors for Halal Businesses

The Malaysia exhibition will take place at the 8th Islamic Halal Expo held at the Istanbul Congress Center from November 25 to 28, 2021. The Malaysia showcase is organized by My Events International in cooperation with MATRADE and the ASEAN Chamber of Commerce.

To plan this long-awaited event, we organized the 'Kuala Lumpur-Istanbul Halal Industry Corridor Webinar' so that our exhibitors can make full use of this platform to expand their business in the Eurasian region. Malaysia's strategic location in the heart of Southeast Asia is an added advantage for entrepreneurs to minimize costs and risks while maximizing opportunities and aligning their business objectives.

This virtual webinar was held on October 26, 2021 via a Zoom meeting organized by My Events International. With the B2B event organized, we believe entrepreneurs will build partnerships and complete collaborations during this event. As with the recently signed memorandum of understanding between the Malaysian Palm Oil Council and the Izmir Commodity Exchange, this further promotes the entry of Malaysian palm oil by-products into the Turkish and Eurasian markets. By 2020, Malaysia's trade value was US$1.8 billion, and we hope this will continue to flourish in the future.

In his welcome speech, organization chairman Mr. Aizuddinur said: 'According to most consumers, Halal food production can be an excellent tool for promoting sustainable farming and agriculture.'

The most likely determinants associated with Halal principles and the promotion of sustainable agricultural production include food safety, environmental friendliness, fair trade and animal welfare. Malaysia has a long history in Halal certification and is a leading country in Halal production. Turkey is Malaysia's third-largest trading partner in the Asian region. Turkish Ambassador H.E. Merve Safa Kavakci believes that 'Turkey and Malaysia have first-class quality infrastructure, with the technical capabilities, human resources, experience and motivation needed to realize Halal sector projects.' The footing of economic relations comes from the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which helps mobilize the untapped trade potential between Turkey and Malaysia. Turkey is one of the countries with huge economic opportunities exceeding market growth. The structure of Turkish society is changing, with its disposable income and living standards continuously rising. Palm oil is one of the most commonly used food ingredients in the world. Ruslan Abdullah, director of the Science, Environment and Sustainability Division of Malaysia's MPOC, said: 'Currently, palm oil is used in about half of packaged foods. In recent years, the growing sales of palm oil have greatly contributed to economic growth in many developing countries and alleviated poverty.' However, they only grow in tropical regions, where their cultivation may negatively impact the local population or environment.

Fadzil Hashim, CEO of Brainy Bunch, seems to believe that it is important to help generate interest in the Malaysian market and to build the first unicorn. Through his dedication and hard work, it grew from an ordinary family-run kindergarten into the first Montessori primary school, or perhaps Malaysia's most famous Islamic Montessori kindergarten. According to him, it is important to let Malaysian unicorns help create stories that give investors a deeper understanding of our ecosystem.

Dr. Bilal Ilhan, country advisor at the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, said the Halal corridor initiative between Malaysia and Turkey is a huge investment opportunity. 'With a foothold in industrialized countries, the global Halal market is becoming increasingly prominent in the global economy.' Malaysia continues to implement major regulatory, trade and industrial assistance measures to enhance its position as a trade-driven Islamic economic center. Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings, as a well-known food and beverage company, is widely located across Turkey. GISB's CEO Dato Lokman Hakim Pforten shared their success story, inspiring local Malaysian companies to further explore friendly markets like Turkey.