Key points of the meeting
According to the Ministry of Science and Technology’s e-portal and VietQ, the meeting took place at STAMEQ headquarters in Hanoi. The Vietnamese side was led by STAMEQ Chairman Nguyen Nam Hai. The Malaysian side included Ambassador Jamal Sharifuddin Bin Johan, the Deputy Ambassador and the Economic Counsellor.
The two sides focused on three groups of issues:
- Halal certification: the National Halal Certification Centre (HALCERT) presented its capacity and the state of Halal certification activities in Vietnam.
- Technical assistance on standards and conformity assessment.
- Mutual recognition of conformity assessment results: the foundation for goods certified in Vietnam to be accepted in Malaysia.
The Malaysian Ambassador stressed that Halal serves not only Muslims but also a broader group of consumers who care about safety, hygiene and traceability.
📌 KEY POINTS
13 October 2026: STAMEQ and the Malaysian Embassy discussed cooperation on Halal certification and mutual recognition.
Currently: Vietnam already has 5 Halal certification bodies recognised by JAKIM (Malaysia), ranking third in the world after Australia and Japan.
Note: this was an exploratory meeting; no formal mutual recognition agreement has been signed yet.
Malaysia: a Halal market gathering pace
The Malaysia International Halal Showcase MIHAS 2026 (23–26 September 2026) generated RM6.78 billion in sales, up 12% on 2025 and well above the RM5 billion target, according to the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). The event drew 69,104 visitors from 93 countries. Malaysia’s Halal exports reached RM68.52 billion in 2025, up 10.9% year on year.
✅ WHAT IT MEANS FOR VIETNAMESE BUSINESSES
Malaysia is both a consumer market and a “distribution hub” for Halal goods worldwide. With JAKIM-recognised certification, Vietnamese products can join the supply chains of Malaysian distributors and expand into the Middle East. If a mutual recognition agreement is signed, certification costs and lead times will fall further.
What should businesses do?
- Prioritise JAKIM-recognised certification bodies when getting Halal certified, so the certificate also works for the Malaysian market.
- Follow the progress of STAMEQ – Malaysia cooperation via HALCERT and the Ministry of Science and Technology portal.
- Prepare to take part in MIHAS 2027 and regional Halal fairs to find distributors.
- List your products on a dedicated Halal trade channel so international buyers can find you all year round, not just during trade fair season.
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Open a storefront to showcase your products and Halal certificates to importers in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Middle East. Register now at https://halalhub.vn
Glossary
- STAMEQ: the National Committee for Standards, Metrology and Quality, under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
- HALCERT: Vietnam’s National Halal Certification Centre.
- JAKIM (Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia): Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, the authority that issues and recognises Halal certification in Malaysia.
- Conformity assessment: testing, inspection and certification activities that determine whether a product meets a standard.
- Mutual recognition (MRA): an agreement under which one country’s certification results are accepted by the other without being redone.
- MIHAS (Malaysia International Halal Showcase): Malaysia’s international Halal trade fair, held annually in Kuala Lumpur.
- MATRADE: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation.
References
- Ministry of Science and Technology – STAMEQ and Malaysia promote cooperation on certification and Halal supply chain development (Vietnamese)
- VietQ – STAMEQ and the Malaysian Embassy step up cooperation on Halal certification and trade (Vietnamese)
- Business Today – MIHAS 2026 Closes With RM6.78 Billion, Sales Exceeding MATRADE Target
- VIR – MIHAS 2026 generates 6.78 billion ringgit in sales across four days
- Vietnam News – Việt Nam has five Halal certification bodies recognised by Malaysia
Photos: Unsplash (Unsplash licence). Graphics: HalalHub.vn.
