A recent report has found that, of the 1,574 hotels and resorts in Malaysia, 366 are fully certified to sell halal foods on their premises.
Of these hotels, 77 have official certification from the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) while the rest by the state Islamic Affairs Departments.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said "Of the 366 hotels and resorts, 273 or 74.59% are those rated between three and five stars, 53 (14.48%) are between one and two stars while the other 40 (10.93%) budget hotels and resorts. We believe we can achieve the target that by end of this year, 412 three- to five-star hotels registered with the Tourism Ministry will be granted with the Malaysian Halal Certificate."
Jamil Khir said this had been made possible thanks to a range of partnerships in the region "This is part of the marketing strategy of the hotels to boost the confidence of their clients including tourists especially those from the Middle East. This is because it is not only about halal food but also the preparation process from the start until the end, including in terms of storage and cleanliness."