The Halal Assurance and Halal Certification Management System has been recognised globally and has become a benchmark for other countries worldwide.

The development, evaluation and revision towards halal compliance and standard, fatwa, laws and regulations of the Malaysia Halal Certification are vital in helping Muslims in Malaysia and the world.

With wide expertise and experience in food technology and biotechnology, the Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology (FTKKP), Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) lecturer, Ts. Dr. Farhan Mohd Said has been appointed as a technical panel member of fatwa council by the Muslim Professional Japan Association (MPJA), Japan and certified by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), Malaysia.

She is also the first female technical panel member of fatwa to be appointed by the MPJA.

MPJA is one of the pioneers of halal information resources in Japan, established to aid in and spread knowledge and information about the Islamic way of life to Japanese society.

MPJA also carries out halal auditing and certification that comply with international quality and standards in Japan.

According to MPJA Managing Director Akmal Abu Hassan, the appointment of Ts. Dr. Farhan is right in her area of technical expertise in halal certification, which is seen to start opening the eyes of entrepreneurs and industry players in Japan.

In addition, Ts. Dr. also successfully became a halal auditor recognised by the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) in 2019.

In 2018, Ts. Dr. Farhan, together with a few MPJA auditors, conducted a Halal Audit monitoring visit in the land of the rising sun at two food processing facilities which are an enzyme drink processing plant, Dainichi Seiyaku Co. Ltd. in Gifu, a capital city in Central Japan and an abattoir (slaughterhouse), Zenkai Meat Corporation located in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto, Kyushu Island.

According to Ts. Dr. Farhan, the programme ran smoothly, involving discussions and information exchange about the concept of halal among MPJA auditors, companies and Fatwa representatives.

She, a JAKIM Halal trainer (TPH), is also invited to attend the online fatwa panel meeting held twice a month for certain months, either through Skype or Zoom amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among industries in Japan that applied for halal certification via MPJA are Ajishokuken Co. Ltd., Croda Japan Co. Ltd., Enex Co. Ltd., Nankai Chemical Co. Ltd., AminoUp Co. Ltd. and Nishiawa Beef Ltd.

MPJA is chaired by Akmal Abu Hassan who is a Malaysian citizen who lives in Japan. He hopes that the cooperation between MPJA and UMP can open the world’s eyes to the potential of the halal industry not only in Japan but in the entire world.

By: Ts. Dr. Azizul Helmi Sofian, Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology (FTKKP) and Safriza Baharuddin, UMP Press

UMP research recognised for special awards in MTE

A lecturer of the Faculty of Computing (FK), Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Associate Professor Ts. Dr. Mazlina Abdul Majid bagged a gold medal and a special award for the Turkish Inventors and Innovators Network Award category through her research titled PISAH Covid Patient Tracking System at Home.

She did not expect the conversation with her colleagues on how to address the quarantine issue during the Covid-19 pandemic sparked the idea of producing an app to help monitor the patients or close contacts who are undergoing home surveillance order (HSO) more efficiently.

In fact, this research has also been considered a major contribution in addressing the Covid-19 virus outbreak.

Meanwhile, Dr. Diyana Kamarudin from the Faculty of Industrial Management (FPI) won a gold medal and a special award for the National STEM Association Award and Euro Business-Haller Award category for her research titled Hear Me Assistive Technology for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired During Pandemic.

Another gold medal and special award were won by Ts. Dr. Norazaliza Mohd Jamil from the Centre for Mathematical Sciences (PSM) for the Malaysian Association of Creativity and Innovation Award category for her research titled A GUI Simulation Tool For Pandemic Outbreaks.

In addition, a silver medal was bagged by Ts. Dr. Roshahliza M Ramli from the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology (FTKEE) with a research titled SMART Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) for Covid-19 Waste Management.

The four UMP lecturers won special awards, three gold medals and one silver medal in the online Malaysia Technology Expo (MTE) Covid-19 Special Edition competition from 14 to 18 June 2021. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation), Professor Dr. Kamal Zuhairi Zamli, congratulated the four UMP researchers who made the university proud.

“Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not an obstacle for UMP lecturers to share research outcomes in realising the agenda of communitising technology through the research creation.

“I believe with this Covid-19 pandemic, researchers will be more likely to engage in research that will benefit the country,” he said.

By: Nor Salwana Mohd. Idris, Corporate Communications Unit, The Office of The Vice-Chancellor