Tengku Zafrul Aziz’s Halal Vision Sparks Bold Global Trade Revolution

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 19, 2025 – In an era where global trade teeters on the brink of fragmentation, Malaysia emerged today as a steadfast architect of renewal, leveraging the halal economy’s timeless principles of trust and equity to forge a more resilient world order. At the grand opening of the Global Halal Summit (GHaS) 2025 and the 21st Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2025, YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), delivered a masterclass in visionary diplomacy—one that fused moral imperative with economic strategy, captivating an audience of global leaders under the luminous arches of the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).

The ceremony, commencing precisely at 9:00 a.m., drew a formidable cadre of dignitaries: Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim; Deputy Prime Ministers Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Dato’ Sri Fadillah Yusof (attendance TBC); Minister for Religious Affairs YB Senator Dato’ Setia Dr. Hj Mohd. Na’im bin Hj Mokhtar; Deputy Minister YB Liew Chin Tong; MITI Secretary General YBhg. Dato’ Hairil Yahri bin Yaacob; MATRADE Chairman YB Dato’ Sri Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican and CEO YBhg. Dato’ Sri Mohd Mustafa bin Abdul Aziz; JAKIM Director General YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Sirajuddin bin Suhaimee; Acting HDC Chairman YBhg. Datuk Azahari bin Dato’ Ashaari and CEO YBrs. Encik Hairol Ariffein bin Sahari; Standards Malaysia Director General YBrs. Encik See Chee Kong; Universiti Putra Malaysia Vice Chancellor YBhg. Dato’ Prof. Ir. Dr. Ahmad Farhan bin Mohd Sadullah; and envoys from foreign embassies, alongside representatives from ministries, agencies, and the press.

Tengku Zafrul’s address opened with resonant warmth, extending “Assalamualaikum, selamat pagi dan Salam Malaysia MADANI” to the assembled throng and virtual participants via Facebook Live. He extended profound gratitude to the Prime Minister and his counterparts, declaring, “Your presence is a testament to our collective commitment towards advancing the global Halal economy.” This invocation set a tone of unity, underscoring Malaysia’s role as ASEAN Chair in hosting pivotal forums like GHaS and MIHAS to exemplify regional economic integration.

Delving into MIHAS’s illustrious trajectory since 2004—which has amassed nearly RM30 billion in export sales—Tengku Zafrul spotlighted the 2025 edition’s ambitious scope: participants from 80 countries, 300 global buyers, and 45,000 trade visitors, all converging toward a RM4.5 billion sales milestone. “As Pengerusi ASEAN tahun ini, Malaysia amat berbangga menjadi tuan rumah kepada pelbagai persidangan global dan pameran perdagangan,” he noted, emphasizing how such platforms illuminate Malaysia’s stewardship amid a “rules-based global trading order” fracturing “with cracks waiting to split at a rapid pace.” In this precarious landscape, he affirmed, ASEAN’s ethos of steadfast solidarity remains “timely—and now more important than ever.”

Transitioning to the halal economy’s pivotal role, Tengku Zafrul issued a clarion call for systemic reinvention: “The global trading system needs a reset. It shouldn’t be about stop gap measures. Neither can it be about creating new ‘clubs’. It is about reimagining the architecture.” He invoked the crucible of recent Malaysia-US tariff negotiations—a “complex, challenging process”—where halal certification faced scrutiny as a non-tariff barrier. Yet, the Cabinet’s resolve was ironclad: “Our halal standards were a ‘red line’ to be defended—and defend it we did, with MITI spearheading Malaysia’s negotiating team.” The outcome preserved “world-class, world-leading halal standards” while streamlining imports for compliant products, a diplomatic triumph that proved, as he poignantly observed, “no country is an island, and that geopolitics goes hand-in-hand with geoeconomics.”

With Islam’s 2 billion adherents fueling a USD3.5 trillion halal market—poised to swell to USD5 trillion by 2030—Tengku Zafrul positioned multilateralism as non-negotiable: “Multilateral cooperation in the global halal industry should be an imperative for us.” He elaborated that societal and economic development “will impact the world, and determine our collective future,” urging the strengthening of the Muslim world “economically, sustainably and inclusively” to amplify voices on global platforms. Halal, he argued, transcends faith: Its goods and services are “increasingly procured by people of all faiths and cultures, not just Muslims.” At a juncture of “growing trade protectionism and armed conflicts,” the sector stands ready to “buck the trend by doubling down on multilateral cooperation.” With characteristic candor, he challenged: “As Muslims, we can and I dare say, it behoves us to show the rest of the world that there is a better path than the one we are on.”

Outlining a tripartite roadmap, Tengku Zafrul prescribed: First, reforming the WTO by restoring its appellate body for “certainty and equity,” modernizing rules for digital trade, sustainability, and state-owned enterprises, while integrating developing economies to embed “inclusivity and equitability in trade—which effectively are halal principles promoting fair commerce.” Second, advancing bloc cooperation via “supply chain diplomacy” and “multilateral currency strategy” in semiconductors, energy, critical minerals, and food, transforming trade “into a stabilizing force, to prevent it from being a blackmail tool.” Third, embedding ethical norms in agreements: “Can we embed the same principles in trade agreements and supply chains? Malaysia is ready to lead on this—we can reframe halal as a trust-based trade framework, transcending geographical and religious boundaries.”

Malaysia, he asserted, is “uniquely positioned to play a catalytic role in resetting the global trading system through the halal economy—not just as a supplier, but as a standard-setter, system-builder, and bridge-maker for ethical trade.” Through the MADANI Economic Framework, the nation advances “economic reforms and encouraging equitable wealth creation—by raising not just our economic ceiling, but also our economic floor to benefit the masses.” Malaysia’s influence extends through forums like the World Islamic Economic Forum and Global Islamic Finance Forum, with WHDC leadership poised to complement the OIC in “catalysing global trade, investment, and innovation.” Though “a small nation,” he reflected with quiet pride, “our voice is not just heard, but also recognised. Our leadership stands tall and, most importantly, principled.”

As architect of South-South Trade Ecosystems—encompassing the Global South’s 85% of world population and most Muslim-majority nations—Malaysia harnesses halal’s “high standards and quality, ethics and sustainability” for regional upliftment. Catalyzing ASEAN FTAs with Australia, China, India, the GCC, and others builds “interoperable halal value chains across ASEAN, the Middle East, and even Africa.”

MITI’s initiatives exemplify this blueprint. The MIHAS internationalization—launched via MIHAS@Dubai for MENA access—culminates in November’s MIHAS@Shanghai, a “bridge [to] gaps, open access to multi-billion-ringgit markets” and elevate ASEAN as Asia’s halal hub. Tengku Zafrul extended a direct entreaty: “I would like to take this opportunity to invite His Hon. Prime Minister and all of you here to MIHAS@Shanghai this November.” He spotlighted Malaysia’s cradle of Islamic finance: “The first innovative Islamic finance products and Sukuks were born in Malaysia. We can leverage this experience to build an integrated Islamic-financed economy,” mainstreaming halal funding across sectors to “mobilize ethical capital for halal startups and infrastructure; develop talent pipelines of halal auditors, executives, and entrepreneurs; as well as anchor ESG-aligned investment in targeted growth sectors.”

These strides, he concluded, reframe halal “as a driver of responsible innovation, not just compliance, to reinforce sustainable and inclusive economic growth.” Expanding halal trade captures sector value while “hedging against volatility in traditional commodities,” bridging “the Muslim world and global markets.” Ultimately, “the halal industry is both a moral obligation and a forward-looking economic strategy that strengthens our resilience, enhances our soft power and secures new pathways to prosperity for Malaysians.”

In summation, amid “geoeconomic competition… driving nations to secure resilient and diversified supply chains,” halal affords Malaysia “a strong edge that can anchor our SMEs and exporters in new growth markets across ASEAN, the Middle East and Africa.” With “the capacity, and courage to be the connector of emerging economies, a possible counterbalance to Western-centric trade blocs,” Malaysia aligns with the Prime Minister’s advocacy. “MITI and its agencies are here to support the execution of his vision,” Tengku Zafrul affirmed, closing with a prayer: “Akhir kalam, terima kasih… Wabillahitaufik walhidayah. Wassalamualaikum wbt.”

Organized by MATRADE with JAKIM, HDC, and Standards Malaysia, the event through September 21 promises intensive B2B engagements and sectoral showcases, from agro-food to fintech. As echoes of Tengku Zafrul’s words linger, one certainty endures: Malaysia’s halal vanguard is not merely trading goods—it’s trading in a legacy of principled progress.