CHIBA (Japan): Malaysia’s Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) is capitalising on Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group’s (MUFG) huge customer base to create a bigger halal market space in Japan.
HDC commercial division senior manager Suryati Mohd Hayani said by tapping into the bank’s 4,000 business partners worldwide, HDC will be collaborating with 40 MUFG’s clients in Japan through HDC’s Halal Industry Expert Development Programme.
“This will facilitate the onboarding of more potential Japanese companies onto the halal economy.
“The move will not only help Malaysia gain more halal investments and trade in the future but also create high-income employment opportunities for HDC’s trained Malaysian halal industry talents in Japan’s growing halal industry,” she said at the 16th Business Link Shobai-Hanjo business-matching event here on Dec 11.
The Tokyo-based MUFG is the largest bank in Japan and the fourth largest in the world.
Suryati said to date, of 60,000 individuals trained worldwide, 10,000 of them are certified as Halal Knowledge Personnel by HDC, a solid achievement which proves that the corporation is the biggest developer of competent halal industry talents in the world.
Through the one-day business matching event, MUFG has linked 40 Japanese companies to participate in HDC’s halal ecosystem development platform next year, she said, adding that it is a strong move to further strengthen Malaysia-Japan cooperation in the halal economic development agenda.
“Japan’s halal potential is huge but the problem is that the companies do not know how to get on board the halal space. And we are the right channel and trusted business partner for them to approach,” she said.
Suryati said five business-matching sessions were held at the event between HDC and five Japanese firms involved in medical devices, logistics and food and beverages.
HDC statistics show that Malaysia exported RM2.5 bil worth of halal products to Japan in 2018, with halal ingredients contributing the largest amount at RM1.27 bil, followed by food and beverage products at RM1.01 bil.
Organised by MUFG, the Business Link Shobai-Hanjo is an annual large-scale business-matching event which saw about 4,000 MUFG’s business partners this year. – Bernama
