The global halal industry continues to grow rapidly, necessitating cross-border collaboration to uphold high standards and maintain the trust of Muslim consumers worldwide. In this spirit, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore strengthened their collaboration through an international seminar in Johor, where they discussed cross-border halal regulations. This forum is a crucial step in unifying perspectives, strengthening halal certification, and unlocking significant opportunities for ASEAN to emerge as a global hub for the halal industry.
The global halal industry is now one of the most strategic sectors globally. With the growing number of Muslim consumers, the demand for halal products and services is also skyrocketing. It is in this context that an international seminar titled “Cross-Border Halal Regulations Shaping a Future Perspective” was held on September 10, 2025, at the Sunway Hotel Big Box, Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia.
The event, organized by the Johor Kingdom through the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ), successfully attracted over 300 participants from diverse backgrounds, including representatives from the Johor Kingdom, the Malaysian government, halal business players, academics, professionals, students, and the general public. This cross-sectoral presence demonstrated the importance of discussions on cross-border halal regulations for the future of the global halal industry.
Raafqi Ranasasmita, Corporate Secretary of LPPOM, representing Indonesia, emphasized that halal is a Muslim obligation. He lamented that many people in Muslim-majority countries still pay little attention to halal certification, believing that products sold are automatically halal.
This contrasts with Muslims in minority countries, who are very careful and serious about ensuring the halal status of their products by registering for halal certification. According to Raafqi, halal certification is not merely a formality, but a crucial requirement for business development, providing a sense of security and trust to Muslim consumers.
He further explained that one of the challenges in importing halal products into Indonesia is the widespread habit of recognizing only one halal logo. Products certified halal by JAKIM Malaysia, for example, still require certification from BPJPH to enter the Indonesian market.
Many Muslim entrepreneurs face similar challenges who underestimate the importance of halal certification. “Many Muslim entrepreneurs might feel, ‘Oh, I’m Muslim for seven generations. Why should I bother with halal certification?’ Yet, when we go to China, Japan, or France, we see people who don’t know Islam, but they have such a strong commitment to quality and halal certification,” he said.
Raafqi also highlighted Indonesia’s high dependence on imported products, particularly meat and dairy products. This is despite Indonesia’s vast land area. “We import more than 60% of our meat. We also import a lot of milk. Meanwhile, in India, it’s just as hot, but they have huge dairy cooperatives. Hopefully, this halal certification will strengthen domestic businesses in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and other Muslim countries so we don’t rely so heavily on imported products,” he said.
He added that halal certification is expected to provide quality assurance, but quality must still be maintained even if the process is expedited. According to him, faster, easier, and more affordable halal certification is essential, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of established standards.
From Malaysia, YBrs. Ustaz Muhyidin Bin Aziz Saari, Director of Halal Management at JAKIM, emphasized that Malaysia has strict protocols for the production and handling of meat and meat-based products. Slaughterhouses must be approved by the Department of Veterinary Services Malaysia (DVS), and audits are conducted jointly by JAKIM and DVS.
Therefore, even if a meat product is halal-certified, if the slaughterhouse is not approved, it still cannot enter Malaysia. He emphasized that halal standards across ASEAN are not significantly different, but each country has its own policies that the industry must understand.
From Singapore, Mohamed Khair Bin Mohamed Noor, CEO and consultant at SuChi Success Initiatives Pte. Ltd., offered a different perspective. He stated that Singapore prioritizes halal cooperation over competition.
“Singapore has no problem accepting halal products from Indonesia and Malaysia. Even if an ingredient is difficult to obtain, they are usually immediately advised to look for one with the JAKIM or Indonesian Halal logo. This means, in this case, there is more cooperation than competition,” he explained.
He believes that the opportunities for halal cooperation between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore are significant. A concrete example is a meat product from China, bearing its own halal logo, which was rejected by these three countries. After finally obtaining halal certification from BPJPH, the product was able to penetrate the Malaysian and Singaporean markets. This demonstrates the importance of understanding cross-border halal regulations.
According to Mohamed Khair, the Singapore market is small but very open. With this openness, Singapore can become a regional hub for halal products, where halal goods from various countries are sourced before reaching the global market. However, he emphasized that each country has its own needs and regulations that business actors must respect.
The lengthy discussion at the seminar emphasized that cross-border halal regulations are not merely about regulatory differences, but rather about building trust with global Muslim consumers. The synergy between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore will be a significant asset in strengthening the ASEAN halal industry and making this region an international hub. By maintaining the quality of halal certification, strengthening local businesses, and expanding collaboration opportunities, the future of the global halal industry will be stronger and more promising.
LPH LPPOM consistently supports the harmonization of regulations and the quality of halal certification across countries as part of its commitment to strengthening the halal ecosystem, providing quality assurance for consumers, and encouraging the growth of globally competitive businesses. Furthermore, through the Halal On 30 program, accessible at bit.ly/HalalOn30, LPH LPPOM provides practical education on the halal certification process in short 30-minute sessions. This is LPPOM’s effort to provide easy, efficient, and high-quality product halal inspection services. (ZUL/YN)
