The 3rd World Halal Forum encourages investments with its Investment Site Visits

In conjunction with the third World Halal Forum (WHF 2008), an Investment Site Visit was held following the two-day forum to promote the Malaysian-based Halal industry as well as to encourage foreign investments into Malaysia. Thirty delegates from countries such as Singapore, the US, Russia, the Philippines and Malaysia were invited to visit some of the major Halal establishments and initiatives in the country.

These included the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) and MISC Integrated Logistics Sdn Bhd (MILS) at Pulau Indah, Port Klang on May 14, and Chemical Company of Malaysia’s (CCM) pharmaceutical plant on May 15.

Delegates saw first-hand the numerous projects and incentives available in Malaysia, and were presented with the facts, figures, processes and methodologies relevant to taking advantage of Malaysian Halal facilities.

According to the WHF Secretariat, the site visit was organised to appreciate investment opportunities in Selangor, to absorb and understand issues in the Halal industry and also to view infrastructure and facilities that had been set up to accommodate businesses and expand network opportunities among multi-national participants.

According to PKFZ General Manager Chia Kon Leong, the facility, set up in November 2006 on 1,000 acres of land, is now welcoming investors. It is state-of-the-art and includes multi-access to neighbouring and global markets by land, sea and air; integration of both industrial and commercial operations; and zero customs duties for permitted products and services. It also includes a one-stop centre with comprehensive, efficient and cost-effective investment facilitation; paperless transactions; competitive lease rental rates for land and buildings; simple transhipment procedures; investor-oriented policies and labour laws, as well as a full investment security.

Other facilities within the PKFZ, which is fully backed by the Malaysian Government, include 640 acres of prepared land, available in plots of various sizes complete with basic infrastructure. These plots are open for long-term lease of 10-30 years with options to extend. There are also 512 units of light industrial units for light-manufacturing, trading and logistic activities, commercial and exhibition centres and 135 of business class hotel rooms.

Chia also said that special rates would be given to the first 15 investors in PKFZ under the Flagship Halal Zone (FHZ), co-managed by PKFZ and HDC: “We are ready for business, and together with HDC, we will spur the growth of the Halal industry in Malaysia.”

The next stop was the MISC Integrated Logistics Sdn Bhd (MILS), a subsidiary of MISC Bhd, located next to the PKFZ. The facility is 95 per cent complete and will be ready for business in July to provide logistics solutions for the Halal industry. “With the capacity of 11,000 pallet positions of cold storage, it is going to be the biggest Halal cold storage facility when we start operation in July 2008,” said MILS Managing Director Hilmi Mohd Nashir. MILS also allocated 250,000 sq ft of warehouse space for dry storage purposes.

Meanwhile, WHF Deputy Chairman Nordin Abdullah noted that PKFZ and MILS are the best facilities to cater for the global Halal industry players. “From the view of the WHF for the last 12 months, we have gone to 28 countries and conducted programmes in a few other places. By far these two facilities in Port Klang are the most advanced and the most ready to do business,” said Nordin. He also urged the Malaysian Government to consider making it compulsory for Halal meat importers to use this Halal cold storage.

Participants also witnessed the production process of CCM Pharmaceutical in its plant in Bangi, as well as an MoU signing between Prima Agri-Foods Sdn Bhd and SGS (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, which is an inspection, verification, testing and certification services company.