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KUALA LUMPUR, April 11, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Muslim heavyweight Malaysia launched on Monday, April 10, a 10-million ringgit (2.73-million dollar) hub as part of its continued efforts to become a global center for exporting halal products.
Inaugurating the hub Monday, April 10, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was confident it would become an important commercial center in view of its strategic location, reported the official Bernama news agency.
The hub will be located in northern Perlis state which borders Thailand's majority-Muslim southern provinces.
It will be a processing and marketing center not only for halal food but other goods like pharmaceuticals and beauty products.
Malaysia has been aggressively seeking to have the upper hand in the booming and lucrative halal industry by becoming a global center for the manufacture and export of halal products.
Halal food production zones are already operating or being built in six Malaysian states, and a sprawling halal distribution hub has been built at a duty-free shipment zone in southern Johor state, on the busy Malacca strait.
In 2004, Malaysia organized its first International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) and later launched a bi-monthly magazine, The Halal Journal, as the first trade and business publication serving the global halal marketplace.
The concept of halal has traditionally been applied to food.
Muslims should only eat meat from livestock slaughtered by a sharp knife from their necks, and the name of Allah, the Arabic word for God, must be mentioned.
Now other goods and services can also be certified as halal, including cosmetics, clothing, pharmaceuticals and financial services.
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