PUTRAJAYA, Suitable implementation methods are being identified to shorten the halal certification processing period from 51 days to 30 days, said the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim).
Jakim director-general Datuk Hakimah Mohd Yusoff said it is carrying out a detailed evaluation and study with the cooperation of the Malaysian Productivity Corporation (MPC) to ensure appropriate implementation methods can be implemented starting from the pre-certification stage right up to post-halal certification.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2024 on Oct 13, said the government would shorten the halal certificate processing period to 30 days from the previous 51 days.
"Jakim welcomes the government's desire to shorten the processing period of halal certification,” she said in a statement today.
To ensure the management of the Malaysian Halal Certificate (SPHM) is at its best, Hakimah said Jakim had implemented the Business Process Reengineering (BPR) to scrutinise the issues and causes of delays in Malaysia's halal certification management since early this year.
Through the BPR, Jakim managed to identify the Malaysian Halal Certification Immediate Initiative (ISPHM) 2.0, which came about through the Malaysian halal certification management pilot project.
She said Jakim received 2,664 halal certificate applications from Jan 1 to Sept 30, with 90 per cent or 2,399 applications already settled.
"The remaining 265 (10 per cent) applications are being processed,” she said, adding that it showed Jakim's commitment to empowering the Malaysian halal certification.
Hakimah said Jakim also restructured its application bureaucracy and increased the capability of its existing support system without affecting the industry's compliance with Malaysia halal certification standards and procedures in force.
"This is to ensure the ecosystem of governance and service delivery management become the main indicators in ensuring services provided are effective and efficient and meet the targeted expectations,” she said.
She said Jakim, in collaboration with the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu), is striving to upgrade the MYeHalal System 2.0 for it to be more user-friendly and meet current technological requirements.
"All industries always need to ensure that better preparedness towards halal certification is completed at the industry level before submitting halal applications,” she said.
Hakimah said Jakim welcomed the government's attention to consider increasing human resources in Jakim's Halal Management Division to streamline the management of Malaysian halal certification.
"As such, through the Malaysia Halal Technical Steering Committee, proposals regarding halal governance will be suitably refined to ensure the implementation of halal management is handled efficiently and proactively,” she said.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency