Malaysia and Indonesia launch bilateral halal council on Day 3 of MIHAS 2026

On day 3 of MIHAS 2026, Malaysia and Indonesia announced the establishment of a joint halal council on Friday, laying the groundwork for a broader ASEAN Halal Council due to launch by September 2027, as the event reported $1.2 billion in sales and potential deals after its first two days.

The Malaysia-Indonesia Halal Council was announced at the Global Halal Summit (GHaS) and the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (Mihas 2026) at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur on September 25. The council will hold its inaugural meeting in October 2026, chaired by Indonesia's Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal (BPJPH), with Malaysia's Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) serving as secretariat. Its focus will be mutual certification facilitation to reduce duplicate procedures and ease cross-border trade.

"Malaysia brings experience in standards, governance, Islamic finance, and trade facilitation. Indonesia brings extraordinary skills, production capacity, and entrepreneurship," said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who officiated GHaS on behalf of the Prime Minister.