KUANTAN: The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) is conducting a trial run to shorten the halal certification approval process from the current 23 days to 15 days, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahidi Hamidi said.
Zahid said the process previously took nine months to complete before it was shortened to six months, followed by three months, and then to 23 days.
He added that Jakim is now working to reduce the approval time for halal certificate applications and renewals to just 15 days.
"Jakim is currently conducting the trial run to shorten the process to 15 working days from the date the application is submitted," he told reporters after opening the Pahang-leg of the Halal on Track (HoT) programme at the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Silver Jubilee hall here today.
Present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.
In June this year, Zahid challenged Jakim to halve its halal certification approval process to 15 days.
Meanwhile, Zahid stated that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's announcement of hiring 100 new halal auditors for Jakim during the tabling of the 2025 Budget yesterday will enhance efficiency in monitoring halal standards in the country.
"Jakim's halal auditors and officers will need to go on the ground to ensure that industries comply with the requirements to secure halal certification.
"We have cooperation with five universities and higher learning institutions to help prepare the additional halal auditors to help expedite the process to issue the halal certificates," he said.
In his speech, Zahid said the government was in the process of fine-tuning the proposal to set up an Akademi Halal Malaysia to help coordinate and determine the direction of halal professionalism in the country.