Collaboration

Collaboration between USM and Halal Penang builds the world’s first pharmacopoeia

MOHD FAISAL BIN JAMALUDIN

Published : 09 December 2019

GELUGOR, December 9 2019 - Collaboration between Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Penang International Halal Hub Development Sdn Bhd (Halal Penang) is sealed through the signature of a memorandum of understanding which focuses on efforts to build the world’s first pharmacopoeia.

PIHH chairman and state International & Domestic Trade, Consumer Affairs and Entrepreneurship Development Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain said a one-stop centre related to the halal industry in Malaysia will be established through the collaboration.

According to him, the one-stop centre has many roles such as providing training and module development about halal for schools and higher education institutions, providing laboratory services for products or halal services and offering knowledge and halal technical expertise for international and local communities.

“Our focus here is to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) because they need reference on how to tackle the halal market; as research requires a lot of money and they have no capacity to do so, we set up a research center for entrepreneurs to benefit from.” he said.

USM vice-chancellor Prof. Dr. Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan welcomed the cooperation and had described the MoU not as a prelude to cooperation between both organisations, which are USM and Halal Penang, but rather as a catalyst for enhancing existing cooperation.

“I hope both organisations will be able to help one another in order to gain success for activities that have been identified by all parties to be of mutual benefit through this MoU. I am confident our efforts can expand the development of the halal sector in Malaysia,” he said at a press conference after the signing of the MoU between USM and Halal Penang.

The MoU was signed by Faisal Rafiq who was representing USM and Abdul Halim representing Halal Penang.

Meanwhile, the Director of Advanced Medicine and Dental Institute (AMDI) Prof. Dr. Syed Azhar Syed Sulaiman said that this MoU focused on the field of halal pharmacopoeia research, has established a one-stop center for globalisation in various aspects that are related to halal, and offered a network of lab testing services for halal products.

“This effort is to assist the community and industry in listing all chemicals and non-chemicals that are used worldwide for various aspects of the pharmaceutical field so that people will no longer have to refer to reference materials before purchasing a product,” he said.

At the same event, Kluster Penyelidikan Halal Studies in Services, Research and Training (HaSRat) is launched. HaSRat is a research group that has been formed under the initiative of the USM Office of Nexus (Science).

The group is upgraded to the Virtual Research Cluster in 2018 as it has a high potential to drive the development of the halal industry and research to another level.

The ultimate goal of HaSRat is to become a center of excellence for halal research and service, not only in the region but also internationally.

Attending this event will be the General Manager of Halal Penang, Mohamad Firhan Ghouse; Head of IPPT Integrative Medicine Cluster, Dr. Eshaifol Azam Omar; HaSRat Cluster Members and Board Members of Halal Penang.