Malaysia announces $200mn Halal meat import from Pakistan

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia on Monday announced plans to import $200 million worth of Halal meat from Pakistan as both countries pledged to strengthen their bilateral cooperation across various sectors.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, made the announcement after their “very productive” discussions, which included talks at both the meeting and delegation levels.

Prime Minister Sharif highlighted the large number of students studying in both countries and emphasized the potential for utilizing this human capital to strengthen their economies through mutually beneficial cooperation.

“You announced a quota of $200 million for meat exports from Pakistan to Malaysia. Let me assure our Malaysian importers and officials that this quota will be regulated by market price mechanisms and will fully comply with all Halal certification requirements set by Malaysian customs and food authorities. I guarantee that we will make every possible effort to meet all your conditions, ensuring not only that we achieve this $200 million quota but also that we surpass it with a quantum leap. When consumers are satisfied, the sky is the limit,” the prime minister remarked.

He also expressed his admiration for Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership, describing him as compassionate, resilient, and focused on building Malaysia into one of the world’s strongest economies.

In a symbolic gesture of friendship, Prime Minister Sharif presented Anwar Ibrahim with the Urdu version of his book, SCRIPT: For a Better Malaysia.

He appreciated that last year, the works of Allama Iqbal—Shikwa Jawab-e-Shikwa, Asrar-e-Khudi, and The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam—were translated into Malay, emphasising that Iqbals’a philosophy called for self-realization and self-discovery and that nations were built not through magic wands but through hard work, tireless efforts, and unwavering commitment.

In his remarks, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that over the years, Pakistan and Malaysia had established strong ties in education, defense, and other fields, while continuously expanding economic cooperation.

He said to strengthen bilateral economic ties, Malaysia would facilitate Pakistan’s interest to export meat to Malaysia and would do whatever was necessary to achieve these goals.

On regional issues, he emphasized that peace between Pakistan and India was vital for regional stability.

Expressing gratitude for the translation of his book, he said Malaysia had also undertaken the great work of translating the scholarly contributions of Allama Iqbal as his profound intellectual legacy continued to inspire them.