Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The Veterans Association of Malaysian Armed Forces (VAMAF) is planning to assist Vietnam in establishing a Halal food centre to strengthen bilateral ties and enhance Malaysia’s global trade outreach.
VAMAF President Datuk Shaharuddin Omar shared the plan at the association’s 103rd anniversary ceremony, noting support from the Vietnam Veterans Association. The initiative is expected to open new markets for Malaysian Halal products and improve livelihoods for its members.
The cooperation aims to streamline food import procedures into Malaysia by enabling the certification of Vietnamese Halal-certified factories to distribute local products. This move can also contribute to Malaysia’s long-term food security policies.
A memorandum of understanding on economic cooperation among veteran associations from Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, and Cambodia was signed at the event to promote local export potential.
VAMAF also announced a partnership with MARDI Corporation Sdn Bhd
to launch a large-scale coconut cultivation project, supporting food supply stability and creating income opportunities for veterans.
As part of its Halal Industry Master Plan 2030 (HIMP 2030), Malaysia reported strong progress with 89.7% implementation in the 2023–2025 period. The sector contributed over 149 billion MYR (35.15 billion USD) to GDP and 61.8 billion MYR (14.58 billion USD) in exports.
Malaysia currently hosts 14 strategic Halal parks with a total investment of 3.8 billion MYR (900 million USD) as of Q1/2025. Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi urged state authorities to propose strategies to enhance these parks’ performance and confirmed plans to introduce investor incentives and streamline Halal certification through a one-stop digital portal.
In addition, Malaysia has launched a “Women in Halal industry” initiative to highlight the role of women in the domain value chain./.
