Behind today’s opening of the Libya Pavilion at MIHAS 2026 lies one sentence from MATRADE’s Chairman that actually points to something far bigger than a two-country trade partnership: the formation of an ASEAN Halal Council by September 2027. The plan was mentioned directly by Dato’ Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican while officiating the Libya Pavilion at MITEC — notably, raised in the context of a partnership with a country outside Southeast Asia.
“By bringing Libya’s growing private sector into Malaysia’s Halal ecosystem, our certification, quality assurance and trade infrastructure, we can build supply chains strong enough to serve the whole Islamic world. Align with Malaysia’s proposal on the establishment of the Asean Halal Council in September 2027 as part of efforts to turn the idea of a regional halal council into a functioning institution,” said Reezal Merican.
That statement matters because it shows MIHAS 2026 isn’t just about annual trade transactions — it’s also a stage for testing and introducing a much bigger institutional vision. If realised, the ASEAN Halal Council would become the first regional body to formally unify halal standards and governance across Southeast Asia, a step that has so far remained mostly discussion across various halal industry forums.
Interestingly, Libya itself is cited as concrete proof of why such an institution is needed. Malaysia-Libya bilateral trade reaching RM1.03 billion in 2025, combined with a 73.4 percent export surge in the first half of 2026, shows that halal market demand is coming from outside Southeast Asia and the Middle East’s traditional zones. For halal supply chains to genuinely reach new markets like North Africa, a more solid regional framework is needed — not just a patchwork of one-off bilateral agreements.
MIHAS 2026 itself serves as a fitting showcase for the scale of this ambition. This year, the exhibition brought together 2,000 exhibitors from 58 countries, with trade transactions projected to reach RM5.0 billion — making it MATRADE’s most ambitious showcase to date. Reezal Merican also reaffirmed MATRADE’s commitment to two-way market access: “MATRADE stands ready, arms wide open, to help Libyan enterprises step into ASEAN, just as we hope more Malaysian companies will seize the opportunities Libya offers.”
The ASEAN Halal Council plan also aligns with Malaysia’s broader target of reaching RM80 billion in halal export value by 2030. Active participation from international partners like Libya is described as playing a key role in building resilient global halal supply chains — something far easier to achieve with an overarching regional framework than through scattered, separate bilateral deals.
If this plan proceeds on schedule, September 2027 could mark a significant moment for Southeast Asia’s halal industry — not just for Malaysia, but for other ASEAN countries that have long operated under differing halal standards and certification systems, Indonesia included.
For Indonesia specifically, this ASEAN Halal Council idea is worth watching closely. As the country with the world’s largest Muslim population and a halal certification system managed by BPJPH, regional standard harmonisation could make it easier for Indonesian halal products to enter ASEAN markets without going through re-certification in every destination country. On the other hand, it also means more open competition — halal brands from other ASEAN countries, Malaysia included, would find it easier to enter Indonesia’s market under the same shared standard. In other words, this kind of harmonisation is a double-edged sword that needs a strategic response, not simply a welcome as unqualified good news.
Moslem Journey will continue tracking developments on the ASEAN Halal Council plan and its implications for the region’s halal industry. Stay tuned for full coverage.
