MIHAS 2010 Brings The Market To Malaysian SMEs - Halal Industry ...

Since then, Natures Own Brand is a regular feature at MIHAS."Seven years on, our business has grown by five-fold. We now distributeproducts for 17 private labels for the international market, and throughMatrade and MIHAS, we are currently making inroads into the markets in theEastern Block comprising Russia and the Commonwealth of IndependentStates (CIS)," Natures Own Brand Managing Director, Abdul Rahman Majiddeclared.atelier des parfums located at the heart of the French perfume industry insouth of France, owns a database of over 60,000 proprietary formulae, andcreates and supplies a complete range of personal care products.The company began a research on Halal certifiable perfumes in 2007 and wassubsequently invited to MIHAS the following year. Its involvement with MIHASculminated with the creation of atelier des parfums Malaysia Sdn Bhd in2009.Today, managed by fourth generation family member Olivier R. Funel, who isalso the President and CEO, the company has created 22 modern, fresh andunique scents in the Halal category.In turn, atelier des parfums Malaysia is set to become the Halal perfumemanufacturing hub for the entire ASEAN region."Matrade's support coupled with the efficiency demonstrated at MIHAS isunmatched anywhere. Since our debut at MIHAS last year, sales volume hassky-rocketed surpassing the cumulative figures for the previous five years,"Funel revealed.Clearly, this annual gathering of entrepreneurs is the ideal platform for Halalindustry players to forge lucrative international business links.MOVING UP THE VALUE CHAINGiven the speed of trade globalisation, the advancement in science andtechnology, including ongoing initiatives to simplify manufacturing processes;it is essential that the Halal concept be understood by manufacturers andmarketers of consumer goods, be it for the food or non-food sectors.

Halal Certification is increasingly recognised as a quality system by bothIslamic and non-Islamic nations worldwide."As the frontrunner in the Halal industry, we need to move up the value chainto include consumables such as pharmaceuticals and medications, intangiblessuch as financial instruments and investments, and services such as productresearch and development," Abu Bakar, who is also MIHAS 2010 EventDirector, said.However, the usage of the Halal logo is more for the food sector and is notmuch seen anywhere else in industry.The speed at which Halal logos are issued, inconsistent cross-borderrequirements and definition, and enforcement are issues that need to becollectively addressed by the international Muslim community.While foreign companies from the far corners of the globe are making theirway to the annual MIHAS congregation, the reluctance displayed by a handfulof local SMEs is rather awkward, to say the least.Malaysian SMEs should shed off whatever inferiority complex they may carryand join in the MIHAS bandwagon."Foreign buyers have indicated that they are willing to work closely with localSMEs to ensure that these companies can meet the specifications andregulatory requirements in their respective home countries," Abu Bakaradded.-- BERNAMA