In short
- These are the terms a business meets between first enquiry and audit, taken from JAKIM's domestic certification manual
- The definitions are the manual's, translated from Malay. They are the version an auditor applies, not a simplification
- Several terms are easy to confuse: HAS versus IHCS, Halal Executive versus Halal Supervisor, certificate versus certification scheme
Halal certification uses a small set of terms that mean specific things, and they are used loosely online. The differences matter. A company that says it "needs a HAS" when it is small has misread the manual, and an applicant who thinks a Halal Supervisor and a Halal Executive are the same post will appoint the wrong person. The table below is taken from the manual's definitions section and its list of abbreviations, translated into English with the page reference under the table.
The terms
| Term | Meaning in the manual |
|---|---|
| Competent authority (pihak berkuasa berwibawa) | JAKIM, or the state Islamic religious council (MAIN) or department (JAIN), whichever applies, empowered to certify that food, goods or related services are halal under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011 (Act 730) through the Trade Descriptions (Definition of Halal) Order 2011 |
| Malaysian Halal Certificate (SPHM) | The official document confirming halal status under a Malaysian halal certification scheme, issued by the competent authority to the applicant. SPHM stands for Sijil Pengesahan Halal Malaysia |
| MYeHALAL | The online system, at www.halal.gov.my, through which applicants register an account and apply |
| Halal Assurance System (HAS) | A set of procedures a company uses to achieve its objective of maintaining halal assurance comprehensively. Required of large and medium companies |
| Internal Halal Control System (IHCS) | A company's internal halal control procedures, made up of a halal policy, a raw material control or halal risk control procedure and a traceability procedure, as the minimum control measures to maintain halal assurance. Required of small and micro companies |
| Malaysian Halal Management System (MHMS) | The integrated management system a company builds, implements and maintains to manage its products and services and maintain halal assurance, through either an IHCS or a HAS |
| Internal Halal Committee | A committee formally appointed in writing by the company's top management, responsible for developing, implementing, monitoring and controlling the effectiveness of the HAS and compliance with certification requirements |
| Halal policy | A documented statement of the organisation's commitment to halal assurance and its direction, as guidance to everyone in meeting the certification requirements |
| Processing area | From the raw material receiving area through to the finished product area, including storage of raw materials and finished goods, weighing, preparation, manufacture, packaging, distribution, serving and sale |
| Central kitchen | A place that processes and prepares halal food and/or drink to be supplied to food premises such as chain premises and mobile premises, usually preparing finished or semi-finished dishes |
| Food chain premises | Food premises of three or more outlets under the same brand with standard business practices based on a central kitchen, central purchasing or other practices |
| Open kitchen | A space set aside for preparing halal food and drink openly in front of customers, as in a restaurant or coffee house. Also called a display kitchen or show kitchen |
| Hotel kitchen | A place where halal food and drink is processed and prepared in a hotel, including open kitchens. The number of hotel kitchens is set by the kitchen area or space that has dedicated or specific entry access |
| Processing aid | Any by-product or additive used directly or indirectly in processing a product, for example microorganism culture media, solvents and bleaching earth |
| Trading product | A product from outside brought onto the premises for storage, labelling, distribution and sale |
| Najis mughallazah | Severe impurity: dogs and pigs, including any fluid or object from their orifices, their offspring and any product or derivative of either |
| Sertu | Cleansing the body, clothing, place, utensils and equipment that have touched najis mughallazah by washing seven times, the first with water mixed with soil, then six times with clean water |
| Hayah al-mustaqirrah | The state of a slaughtered animal that is believed to be still alive, identified by blood spurting at slaughter or movement of the animal |
| Slaughterman's credential (Tauliah Penyembelih) | The official document issued by the competent authority as certification of the competence of a slaughterman and/or halal inspector working at a slaughterhouse |
| Non-conformance report (NCR) | The report of a finding that an applicant must answer in writing within the set time |
| Regulators named in the manual | BKKM, the Food Safety and Quality Division of the Ministry of Health; NPRA, the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency; PBKD, the Drug Control Authority; JPV, the Department of Veterinary Services; MDA, the Medical Device Authority; PBT, the local authority |
Source: JAKIM, Manual Prosedur Pensijilan Halal Malaysia (Domestik) 2020, pages 2 to 56 · edition of 2020
The three roles people confuse
The manual defines three kinds of staff, and a company can be required to have all three, one, or only a Muslim employee, depending on its size and scheme.
| Role | Definition in the manual |
|---|---|
| Halal Executive | The individual responsible for halal compliance at a company or premises. Must be Muslim, a Malaysian citizen and in a permanent post, hold at least a Diploma in Halal Management or an equivalent qualification or have at least five years of halal management experience, and hold a Halal Executive Certificate from a Halal Training Provider registered under the JAKIM Halal Professional Board (HPB) |
| Halal Supervisor | A Muslim Malaysian citizen in a permanent post who supervises the product or service processing area and/or the management section, meeting the requirements set by the competent authority |
| Muslim employee | A Muslim individual, Malaysian or not, other than the Halal Executive and Halal Supervisor, hired by the employer under a contract of service. The number required depends on the industry category and the certification scheme |
Source: JAKIM, Manual Prosedur Pensijilan Halal Malaysia (Domestik) 2020, pages 3 to 6 · edition of 2020
Which roles apply to you is set out in the staffing guide, and the system each size of company must run is explained in the HAS and IHCS guide.
Terms that belong to other parts of the process
JAKIM-recognised foreign certification bodies. These are the overseas bodies whose halal certificates JAKIM accepts. Recognition attaches to the body, not to the country, which is why a certificate from a local body that is not on the list will not be accepted for the Malaysian market. The full list by country is on its own page.
Certification scheme. The category an application is made under. There are nine, each with its own standard, fees and prerequisites. See which one applies to you.
MS 1500:2019. Halal Food: General Requirements (Third Revision), the standard behind the food and food premises schemes. See what JAKIM certification is.
If a term you have been given is not here, or someone has used one of these in a way that does not match the definition, ask us. A mismatch between what an adviser says and what the manual says is worth catching before you apply.
Next: how to apply on MYeHALAL, or the certification process.