TO overcome the threat of economic recession, businesses especially in the Halal industry must be resilient, says Penang Halal International (PHI) chief executive officer Fazil Irwan Som.
He said the only way businesses in the Halal industry could come out of this stronger is to be resilient.
“As we can see, business is slowly coming back nowadays. But we still have many challenges ahead of us.
“As you know, we have a multitiered crisis unravelling before us. The war in Ukraine, the ongoing trade war between the United States and China, and also mounting inflation and logistics cost. We are facing a threat of economic recession.
“So, we all need to be resilient. But resilience doesn’t just mean being strong-headed and patient, but more importantly, it is about creating a strong supportive network amongst friends and partners in the Halal ecosystem.
“This can enable us to leverage various strengths. After all, alone, we are useless but together, we can move mountains,” Fazil said in his speech during the Halal Excellence Award Gala Dinner at Eastin Hotel Penang in Bayan Lepas yesterday (July 2).
Also present were Penang Governor Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak, state Entrepreneurial Development, Trade and Industry Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain, state Welfare and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh, Penang Development Corporation chief executive officer Aziz Bakar and World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation chairman Tan Sri Dr Syed Hamid Albar.
Fazil added that there are various agencies that businesses in the Halal industry could collaborate with to promote the Halal brand and to find innovation opportunities to boost their market presence.
“There are so many agencies such as government organisations, companies, service providers and others.
“And if we can leverage their unique strengths, we can create such a powerful movement to make the Halal brand a truly universal entity that relates to trust, cleanliness, transparency professionalism, and profitability,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abdul Halim said Halal food producers in Penang could help alleviate the disruptions to global food supply chains by expanding their production through digitalisation and by doubling down on marketing outreach.
“The Halal food production industry is just starting, so it has the capacity to expand to meet the demands of global consumers, especially for fresh and hygienic quality produce.
“If this can be done, then I believe it could help as well to strengthen food security in the country,” he said.
Abdul Halim also congratulated all the Halal Excellence Award winners, adding that it is a form of recognition for their efforts in the Halal business industry.
Below is the Halal Excellence Award winners list:
Women Entrepreneurs Award Winners:
1. RCAB Food Ventures Sdn Bhd
2. Arina Food Enterprise
New Leader Award Winner:
1. SSY Food Enterprise
Digital Adopters Award Winners:
1. Sugar Gold HQ Ventures
2. Bot Industries International Sdn Bhd
3. Akoof Food and Beverage Sdn Bhd
Market Champions Award Winners:
1. PG Lean Hwa Trading Sdn Bhd
2. Nashmir Capsule Sdn Bhd
3. Pak Ali Food Industries Sdn Bhd
4. Al Haddad Group Of
Companies
5. Haliza Industries Sdn Bhd
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad