Must Imported Products in Malaysia Be Halal Certified?

As Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country, international enterprises often question whether halal certification is mandatory for their food products before exportation to Malaysia. (For the definition of "halal," please refer to Food-Pedia: Malaysian Halal Food Regulation)

Halal logo in Malaysia

Halal requirements under JAKIM

In Malaysia, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) is the authoritative body responsible for overseeing Islamic affairs, including halal certification. Currently, JAKIM offers five halal certification schemes for international manufacturers:

Food products
Cosmetics
Pharmaceuticals
Consumer goods
Medical devices

In general, halal certification is voluntary in Malaysia unless specifically mandated by regulations. However, if a product is marketed or labeled as halal, it must comply with applicable halal regulations. Which products, then, require mandatory halal certification? JAKIM mandates that all meat and animal-based products intended for export to Malaysia must be halal certified. It also explained that the Department of Veterinary Services Malaysia (DVS) is the authority overseeing the regulation of meat and meat-based product imports and exports. ChemLinked has confirmed with JAKIM that all animal products and their derivatives must obtain halal certification before export to Malaysia. (Note: Pork is excluded from this requirement, as it is inherently non-halal.)

Halal requirements under DVS

To understand the role of DVS in the importation process, it is essential to consider other relevant regulations:

Customs Regulations like the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023 and its amendments specify the goods which are prohibited to be imported into Malaysia except they are imported in the manner provided. For example, it is specified that products such as meat and milk must obtain an import permit issued by or on behalf of the Director General of the Department of Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (MAQIS) under the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011 [Act 728].
Animal Act of 1953 and Animal (Importation) Order 1962 also impose similar requirements regarding import permit for animal and animal products.

To obtain a permit from MAQIS, stakeholders shall submit the applications in prescribed ways following Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011, which also authorizes MAQIS to issue permits, licenses, and certificates for the importation of plants, animals, and other goods. Currently, in practice, stakeholders submit applications for the import permit via online system. However, for animal and animal products entering Malaysia for the first time, the exporting country, facility, and commodity must be registered with DVS before applying to MAQIS.

Animal and Animal Product Import Application Process Flowchart

Source: DVS official website

In this stage, DVS is responsible for assessing the animal health status in exporting countries and auditing overseas processing establishments and abattoirs, in coordination with JAKIM. According to the DVS document “General Procedure Import Meat, Poultry, Milk and Egg Products to Malaysia”, establishments or abattoirs intending to export meat (excluding pork), poultry, milk and eggs products to Malaysia need to fill up necessary forms related to halal certification for adequacy audit (document audit) by DVS and JAKIM on HALAL. DVS’s another document Implementation of Inspection Services at Foreign Abattoirs and Processing Plants for Export of Meat and Products of Animal Origin to Malaysia also prescribed that “All approved establishments are required to comply with the Malaysian Halal Standards MS1500:2009 issued by Department of Standards Malaysia (Standards Malaysia) and Malaysia Protocol for Halal Meat Production issued by JAKIM”. These requirements align with JAKIM’s mandatory halal certification for animal products.

In addition, DVS issues specific importation conditions for various product categories from different countries. A Halal Certificate issued by a Halal Organization Body recognized by JAKIM is required for the importation of:

Poultry and poultry products (chicken, turkey and duck)
Beef, mutton and venison
Bovine gelatin
... (After checking with DVS, for the importation of dairy products, the import requirement specifically pertaining to halal is currently under review.)

Summary

Halal certification is compulsory for all animal products (excluding pork). For other product categories, while not mandatory, obtaining halal certification is highly advisable due to:

Malaysia's status as a Muslim-majority country.
The added market value of halal certification, which signifies hygiene and safety to non-Muslim groups.
Ensuring comprehensive market access.

For more analysis on halal regulations in Malaysia, please refer the following articles:

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