An enabler for SMEs to expand halal businesses abroad

KUALA LUMPUR, 17th August 2021: Maybank Islamic Berhad has recently embarked on an initiative called Halal Route to Market Programme (HalMap) with the main objective to enable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to expand their halal businesses outside Malaysia.

The programme will be kicked off with the selection of 10 SMEs to venture into Singapore’s halal food market.

Under this programme, the SMEs will be provided a distribution platform, service advisory and training to market their products in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) market segment.

The 10 SMEs and their 50 products are expected to be on the shelves of a supermarket and specialty grocery store called Eccellente by HAO Mart located in @Kinex Mall, Singapore, by the fourth quarter of this year.

To facilitate this programme, Maybank Islamic has entered into a strategic partnership with amaxMALL Sdn Bhd (amaxMALL) and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). Being one of the established online and physical business platforms for SMEs, amaxMALL will collaborate with HAO Mart to market and promote the SME products physically and online.

The partnership with amaxMALL and MATRADE is part of Maybank Islamic’s on-going efforts to tap on the ever-growing Halal market by enhancing the awareness of the Halal industry, increasing the number of new Halal-certified companies, and ultimately assist them to expand into the overseas Halal markets.

“This collaboration is part of our plans to provide access to the marketplace for local SMEs to expand their reach outside Malaysia, bringing the halal businesses to the world,” said Maybank Islamic CEO Dato’ Mohamed Rafique Merican in a statement.

With the current challenges faced by SMEs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HalMap can be a new channel to provide the Bank’s SME customers with additional opportunities to expand their operations.

He added that the Bank is hopeful that this initiative would help ensure local SMEs remain resilient, despite the challenges.

“We are also committed to assist not just the SMEs but also our Business Banking customers and Corporate businesses to expand their Halal business opportunities globally. To this end, we are focusing on 4 areas to drive the growth of halal supply chain, namely the awareness, financing, capability and capacity building and access to marketplace,” said Dato’ Mohamed Rafique.

The collaboration between amaxMALL and HAO Mart has entered its second year where amaxMALL’s platform is being used for Malaysian SME products to be placed at Eccellente by HAO Mart’s supermarket shelves in Singapore. There are currently 84 Malaysian SME products placed at what the supermarket calls, the Malaysia Bay shelves.

“This is a huge opportunity for Malaysian SME Halal products to expand their reach into the export market. This year, we are pleased to have Maybank Islamic onboard through its HalMap initiative and we look forward to add these new vendors to our portfolio of Malaysian SME vendors for us to assist their market access to Singapore” said amaxMALL CEO Datin Dr Nik Sarina Hashim.

Besides HalMap, amaxMALL is also collaborating with MATRADE on eBizLink, the new PEMERKASA (Program Strategik Memperkasa Rakyat dan Ekonomi) initiative mandated to MATRADE to intensify promotion of Malaysia’s export.

MATRADE CEO Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz welcome the timely launching of the HalMap programme to support SMEs to fast track their business recovery through export activities.

“In this strategic partnership, we have incorporated a digital feature in HalMap through the current MATRADE’s eBizLink programme which is a new initiative by the Government under PEMERKASA with greater emphasis on digital marketing. It aims to create awareness and increase visibility for Malaysian products and brands overseas, towards increased offline physical sales,” he said.

For more details on the HalMap programme, please email halal@maybank.com.