ARTICLE CRITIQUE

The article are mainly about finding the challenges in nowadays faced by
Halal certification authorities in managing the Halal certification process.The main
ideas was the author want to express are the challenges in order for the reader to
understand and identify the challenges faced in applying Halal certification through
JAKIM and JAIN as the authors want JAKIM Halal certification applicant and related
parties to cooperate and improve the challenges faced. Furthermore, the authors also
find out that the challenges are Halal Auditor’s lack of skills and knowledge,
problems with MY-eHALAL system, issues in reviewing halal certification
applications, lack of proper guidelines in Malaysia halal certification, and competition
from the foreign certification body. In addition, the auditors also highlighted the
suggestion of improvement for the challenges in order to manage and decrease the
difficulties in applying local Halal certification for the industries. Next, the auditors
also highlighted that their findings of information were gained through interviews
session with highly competence,knowledgeable and high experience either in
technical and concept about Halal certification which comes from the likes of Halal
Auditors from JAKIM and JAIS, Halal Certification Panel, and Halal Executives from
various companies used to gather the data for this article publish. The authors also
describe that the data and information received is through transcribing process from
either the audio or video recording during the interviews session and the qualitative
data analysis were gained through preparing and managing the data, reducing and
condensing codes into themes. In the terms of conducting the interview session, we
totally agree to held the interview among the respondent likes the heads of Halal
Auditor from Hub Halal Division, JAKIM and the Halal Management Division, JAIS,
the Halal Panel from JAIS, 13 Halal Executives from selected companies with
experience in applying for Malaysian halal certificate,and a personnel from the
Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change
(MESTECC) as all of the respondents have slightly different background but had only
focus on the Halal industries development in Malaysia because they are among
competent, skillful and experienced respondents in order the get precise
results.Furthermore, we also agree that the interview session is recorded and the data
analysis were gained through preparing and managing the data, reducing and
condensing codes into themes in order to make sure the data among respondents are
related, match and precised with each others.
Next, we find out the authors point important and interesting point such as the
preservation of Halal industries in Malaysia as Halal industries was believed to be
among of the contributor sector in Malaysia country economic growth as Malaysia are
start emerging the labour market of Halal in terms of providing Halal talent, Halal
coaches, Halal worker and so on related to Halal labour market. In addition the article
publication strength were obtaining the data and information from suitable
respondents as they provide clear and straight forward data about the challenges in
Halal certification management process. Furthermore, the respondents and
experienced parties are willing to give cooperation to spend their time,energy and
space with the authors to carry out an investigation in finding the challenges faced by
halal certification authorities in managing the halal certification process in Malaysia.
It was a good deeds and was part of the article publications strength. In fact, we
totally agree that preservation of Halal industries were really important and crucial
even we as Halal industry management students do realize that Halal industries in
Malaysia can benefit so much to Malaysia economic growth not just in labour market
but also in global market as Halal product and service demand from other Muslim
country were increasing and high because of Muslim population demographic. In
addition, we also believe that our beloved country, Malaysia are committed in
building and developing the Halal industries towards advance and systematic
implementation as we can see the Malaysia government support the development of
Halal Industry Master Plan 2030 to deliver a two-thirds increase
in Malaysia's domestic returns from the halal industry by 2030, while also increasing
its contribution to GDP to 11%, from 7.4% today (Richard Whitehead,2020).
Next, the authors also point out the first challenge about Halal certification
process management which is the main factor in giving delay for the Halal
certifications as it was stated many Halal was applied in one time at My-eHalal
system are lack of manpower.So, the authors stated that the Halal certification process
were short handed in managing the applicant as it was a problem that may lead to the
Halal certification management stressful condition. This information was important
and considerable as nowadays Malaysian employees face the challenge of facing
mental health problems through the stress in managing overload work. According to
the local news agency, for most employees, the work-life balance has been so skewed
that it has become a case of living at work.Private and personal time has been
sacrificed to meet increasing demands from customers, resulting not only in heavier
workload but also more lengthy work hours for the Halal certification management
related parties(Hakem Hassan,2021). In our opinion, we do agree the first challenge
which is lack of manpower in managing the Halal certification process are right
because most of the Halal executive or Halal auditors always hold more than one
position and task in one time because of the Malaysia Halal industries want to
optimize the manpower in every section in order to save finance system or salary
system. In fact, today Malaysia are among the country that facing serious finance
issue as government debt still high, the living cost and daily cost are increasing
among community and foreign worker overload in our country that leads to unstable
economic cycle in Malaysia. As an extra information for the economic cycle,
According to a study done by the Khazanah Research Institute, there are more than
30% of foreign workers in the agriculture sector, where this sector has the largest
share of foreign workers(AZALEA AZUAR,2021).
Next point highlighted by the authors are the challenge absence of recruitment
scheme of halal auditors as different method was used by the Federal and State
government in recruiting the Halal auditors that possess really competence skill and
knowledge such as pure Shariah qualifications and technical expertise. In addition,
this challenge made Halal certification process become complicated and inconsistency
among the auditors recruitment either before or during or after the auditing Halal
applicant process. Furthermore, there is no proper guidelines,manual and regulations
that regulate or discussing on the Halal auditors recruitment and how the process of
recruitment flow progress. So, it also may add a problem which is about trustworthy
issue on the Halal auditors such as incompetence Halal auditors, no integrity Halal
auditors, unethical Halal auditors and problematic Halal auditors either in the first or
second or third party Halal auditors. Next, ambiguous on the Halal auditors
recruitment and lack of detailed specification on the Halal recruitment can be
improved through JAKIM initiative on sending Halal Fast Force (HFF) to speed up
the reviewing process for auditing is always considerable but it is short term solution
for the Halal auditors recruitment issue but there is still needs of the Halal auditors
recruitment scheme. In addition, we do agree with the authors point and finding
regarding the needs of detailed specification Halal auditors scheme because even we
as the students still did not have clear vision and reference guidelines on the Halal
auditors especially the third party Halal auditors. In fact, Halal industry players will
be more exposed and aware about the level and the qualifications of the Halal auditors
that come from experience and proper background. In addition, we also agree the
other solution of the authors which establish a data triangulation discussion of Halal
auditor competency in Halal certification process between the related parties such as
Ministry of Health. JAIS, JAKIM and others in review the Halal certification process
challenge frequently and can solve Halal auditors recruitment issue arise in period.
The next data or knowledge authors highlighted are the competence among
Halal auditors also has become a challenge faced in Halal certification process
nowadays as it can be foreseen in the way the Halal auditors handle inability in Halal
reviewing process. In addition, the emerging of Halal industries using new raw
materials nowadays limit the Halal auditors ability to identify it as when Halal
executive asking about new raw material usage, the Halal executive expect to get the
precise answer, instead they the Halal auditors also need to refer to the such as
Muslim Scholars, scientist and others who had done laboratory or clinical analysis
because nowadays there are so many issue and new material usage issued as we can
see on the issue of Covid-19 vaccine status, usage of alcohol, usage of Gelatine and so
on. In our opinion, we not agree with the statement that the Halal auditors nowadays
are lack of competence nowadays as the Halal auditors team were consist of many
background expertise such as expertise in Shariah concept and background, expertise
in technology concept background, technical concept from industrial background and
also food scientific background. In fact, it was proven the Halal auditors was not
standalone background about Halal expertise but the Halal auditors also consist the
expert related with Halal industry background. In addition, if the Halal auditors facing
contemporary problems that they may not answer, they will refer to the likes of
scientist and Federal and states scholars in order to find out the problem solving
outcome.
Next challenge highlighted by the authors are the absence of clear guidelines
or standard regarding the guidelines for the Halal auditors reviewing the application
documents which can be seen on the issue of brief explanation of the implementation
of the Halal Assurance System, compared to the comprehensive guidelines provided
by MUI. In addition, there is no proper guidance on Halal audit checklist to check the
raw materials’ critical background which affect not only the Halal executive lines but
also affecting the Halal auditor lines regarding clear rules of permitted raw materials
in the critical ingredient list. In our opinion, we do agree that this challenge does quite
a problem in Halal certification process as both parties, Halal executive and Halal
auditors facing gasps and contradictions among each other in establishsing their own
ingridient checklist. In addition, we do hope that JAKIM or JAIN will provide clear
guidelines or checklist to guide them in reviewing the application documents in order
to prevent the Halal industries facing numorous problems or question regarding the
auditing context.
The fifth challenge authors highlighted in Halal certification process are the
My-eHalal system which made most all Halal executive remain unsatisfied because of
technical problems with the system such as the problematic saving capability and the
name of person-in-charge being absent. In fact, the My-eHalal system compared to
the CEROL system (MUI), the CEROL system (MUI) were more user friendly and
always updated and also stable. In addition, the authors highlighted that all of the
respondent hope that the My-eHalal system will be keep updated and advanced along
with the growth of IT technology nowadays as it will proved that Halal industries in
Malaysia are commited in enhancing and establish the Halal certification process
more effectively and efficiently. In our opinion, we do agree that My-eHalal system
was part of the barrier faced by the Halal industries player especially the Halal
executive or the Halal applicant because the system quite troublesome sometimes and
not user friendly because of the delay and the inefficient system. In fact, we also hope
that the My-eHalal system will keep improving and advance along with the MUI
system in order to able compete in global Halal market growth.
The last challenge that the author highlighted are the competition with foreign
halal certification bodies in maintaining Halal market growth to support own country
economy growth development. In fact, many company are eager to apply the Halal
certification through MUI around Asean country because MUI provides proper
guidelines and their halal logo can still be used in Malaysia as it was believe that their
documentation checklist is comprehensive and their Halal Auditors are competent and
able to answer questions coming from each scheme. In addition, this competition with
MUI may risk the JAKIM position as the pioneer of Halal Certification Application
body. In our opinion, we don’t think this challenge are critical or really matters in the
Malaysia Halal certification process because this competition will be happen as
healthy competition among countries in developing Halal industries to contribute each
country economy growth or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and it will burn the
JAKIM and Malaysian Halal industry players to keep improving and advance towards
more effective and efficient system than the MUI Halal system. In addition, as a
support for the Malaysian Halal industry player motivation, the Halal Division of the
Department of Islamic Development Malaysia known as JAKIM has announced by
the Department of Standards Malaysia that they were declared compliant with the
International Standard ISO/IEC 17065:2012 in context of certification bodies
(Richard Whitehead,2020). So the Malaysia Halal certification process system still
stand firm as a Halal certification application body pioneer across the globe and may
be a reference by the other countries especially middle east in developing Halal
indsutries.
Lastly, we do agree with the authors which highlighted information that all of
the initiatives for the improvement suggested by the respondents which come from
experience and expert view should be considered in order to develop better and
advance Halal system in our beloved country to contribute the economic growth.

Hakeem Hassan. (2021). Health of employees and quality of work likely to suffer.
www.thesundaily.my. https://www.thesundaily.my/local/health-of-employees-
and-quality-of-work-likely-to-suffer-DY7991252.

RICHARD WHITEHEAD. (2020, October 10). Halal to the world: Malaysia's HDC
gearing up to provide consultancy to foreign governments. Salaam Gateway -
Global Islamic Economy Gateway.
https://www.salaamgateway.com/story/halal-to-the-world-malaysias-hdc-
gearing-up-to-provide-consultancy-to-foreign-governments.

RICHARD WHITEHEAD. (2020, October 26). Halal industry hopes the benefits
from JAKIM's new ISO accreditation will filter down. Salaam Gateway - Global
Islamic Economy Gateway. https://www.salaamgateway.com/story/halal-
industry-hopes-the-benefits-from-jakims-new-iso-accreditation-will-filter-down.

Azalea Azuar. (2021). Make agriculture attractive among youths. The Malaysian
Reserve. https://themalaysianreserve.com/2021/06/23/make-agriculture-
attractive-among-youths/.