Education at the Halal Center must be continuously and extensively conducted to promote an understanding of policies and regulations. Because, until now, people’s understanding of halal products is still inconsistent. For example, halal tourism policies still face rejection. Meanwhile, Thailand’s policies have received positive responses from both local and international communities.
This assertion was made by Vice Rector I, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Arifin, MHum, during his speech at the visit of the Penang Halal Center team to the UMSU campus on Thursday (June 15). The visit of Penang Halal International to the campus was an opportunity for information exchange and exploration of potential collaborations between the UMSU Halal Center and Penang Halal International.
Further explaining, Muhammad Arifin stated that the Halal Center or certification granting institution should not only focus on certification matters but should go beyond that to build perception and provide education.
“To be honest, we have a lot to learn from Malaysia and Thailand on establishing regulations and overseeing halal products,” said Vice Rector I of UMSU. Muhammad Arifin gave an example that in malls or shopping centers in Medan, it is still difficult to differentiate between halal and non-halal food products. Halal and non-halal food products are often placed in close proximity. Such matters should certainly receive attention from the government.
The visit of Penang Halal International to the UMSU campus is expected to be followed up with more concrete collaborations, according to Arifin. To initiate the meeting and exchange, the Secretary of the UMSU Halal Center, Khairil Azmi, MA, explained that the UMSU Halal Center is a leading center for halal excellence, developing knowledge, technology, and human resources based on Al-Islam and Muhammadiyah principles.
The government has entrusted the Halal Center UMSU to assist business entities in halal production. Khairil Azmi hopes that the interaction between the UMSU Halal Center and Penang Halal International can facilitate sharing of information and experiences, particularly in building collaborations.
En Fazil Irwan Som expressed the same hope. He explained that Penang Halal International is a government agency in Pulau Pinang that promotes halal business. Penang Halal International serves as the gateway to halal in the eastern region and acts as a global supply and chain center, said En Fazil Irwan Som.
Various international events are organized to support the Penang Halal International program, such as the Penang International Halal Expo & Conference and the Penang International Halal Food & Heritage Festival.
Before delivering his speech, Prof. Dato Dr. Mohammad bin Abdul Hamid, the Rector of Kolej Islam Teknologi Antarbangsa (KITAB) Pulang Pinang, expressed his appreciation to UMSU for paying attention to efforts to promote the role of the Halal Center within society. “The collaboration between the UMSU Halal Center and Penang Halal International can be successfully implemented,” said Dato Dr. Mohammad.
At the end of the exchange, both parties exchanged mementos and gifts.
