A Complete Halal Certification Guide For Restaurants In Malaysia
Getting an F&B business in Malaysia Halal certified by the Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) is not easy, but those who go the extra mile will likely find it worthwhile.
To help, our guide translates and summarises key points from two official guides by JAKIM, which are very long and only available in Bahasa Melayu:
Both are essential to any business in Malaysia seeking Halal certification, and by the end, readers will walk away with a clear understanding of:
- key terms in Halal certification
- general requirements for all F&B premises
- specific requirements based on type of premise
- fees, timelines, and validity periods
- steps in the application process, and
- post-certification compliance
Let’s begin.
Essential terminology
Halal certification is one of the more demanding licenses, and to help readers walk away with full clarity, we start with how JAKIM classifies an F&B business based on annual revenue:
- Small: < RM500,000
- Medium: RM500,000.00 – RM5,000,000.00
- Large: > RM5,000,000
Depending on size and type, a business must satisfy specific requirements to obtain Halal certification, and now we define several terms essential to the Halal certification process.
We’ve included both Bahasa Melayu terms and an English translation and have tried to make it digestible–but it’s still a lot, so take your time chewing 🙂
| Original / English | Definition |
| Sijil Pengesahan Halal Malaysia / Malaysian Halal Certification (SPHM) | Official Halal certificate issued by JAKIM confirming a business or product is Halal-compliant |
| Sistem Kawalan Halal Dalaman / Internal Halal Control System (IHCS) | A set of internal Halal control procedures for small organisations |
| Sistem Jaminan Halal / Halal Assurance System (HAS) | A more comprehensive set of internal Halal control procedures for medium and large organisations |
| Sistem Pengurusan Halal Malaysia / Malaysian Halal Management System (MHMS) | A management system developed, implemented, and maintained by an organisation in compliance with either the IHCS or HAS |
| Eksekutif Halal / Halal Executive | A Muslim Malaysian permanent employee with a Diploma in Halal Management (or 5 years’ experience) and a Halal Executive Certificate from a JAKIM-registered provider who is responsible for ensuring Halal compliance in a company. Typically for businesses implementing HAS |
| Penyelia Halal / Halal Supervisor | A Muslim Malaysian permanent employee tasked with supervising the processing area for products, services, and/or management section, meeting the requirements set by the competent authority. Typically for businesses implementing IHCS |
| Jawatankuasa Halal Dalaman / 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. Must consist of at least four members: Chairman, Halal Executive, procurement representative, and processing/operations representative. Typically for businesses implementing HAS |
| Pekerja Muslim / Muslim Employee | A Muslim Malaysian or non-citizen, other than the Halal Executive and Halal Supervisor, employed under a service contract |
General application requirements
Only premises that have been operational for at least three months may apply, and the application must cover all products or menus currently being produced or offered.
As a result, some conditions will be met via typical setup procedures of an F&B outlet:
- being a registered business entity under SSM
- valid licenses from the Local Authority and Ministry of Health to run an F&B outlet
- food handler training and typhoid vaccination certificates for all personnel
- being clean and hygienic with a control system to prevent contamination
In addition, the premise must comply with several Halal-specific operating requirements:
- only produce and / or handle Halal products
- no names referring to / associated with non-halal products
- any central kitchens used must already be Halal-certified
- implements an appropriate HMS for its type and size
- have sufficient permanent Muslim employees who are Malaysian citizens
A table of prohibited names and terms can be found under Lampiran A in JAKIM’s Halal Certification Manual.
What qualifies as an appropriate HMS and number of Muslim staff depends on the type and size of your F&B business, as we cover in the next section.
Businesses under Skim Premis Makanan
JAKIM recognises ten types of F&B businesses under their Food Premise Scheme:
- kitchens and restaurants in hotels
- restaurants and cafes
- canteens
- bakeries
- chain food premises
- food caterers
- central kitchens
- mobile F&B outlets (like food trucks)
- food court operators
- food kiosks (like in malls)
On top of common requirements across all F&B premises, there are specific personnel and organisation requirements for each type of business.
Hotel kitchens and restaurants
These are typically treated as large or medium industries and require a HAS.
| Requirement | Details |
| Staff | At least 2 Muslim employees per kitchen present throughout operations |
| Management | Each branch must appoint a Halal Executive, form an Internal Halal Committee, and implement HAS as per Manual MHMS 2020 |
| Kitchen | List all operating kitchens / restaurants; certification based on separate entry access |
| Segregation | Certified kitchens must be clearly separated from non-certified ones |
| Food Supply | Food served to guests must come from Halal-certified kitchens only |
| Restaurant Supply | Restaurants (including open kitchens) must source from Halal-certified kitchens |
Restaurants, cafés, canteens, and bakeries
These typically fall under small or micro industries and require an IHCS, but if you have three or more outlets, it graduates to a medium industry and must meet chain food premise requirements.
| Requirement | Details |
| Staff | At least 1 Muslim Malaysian employee per premise present during operations |
| Management | A Halal Supervisor must be appointed and IHCS implemented as per Manual MHMS 2020 |
| Preparation | Food and beverages must be prepared in an Halal-certified kitchen |
Chain food premises
Applies to restaurants, cafes, mobile premises, and kiosks with three or more outlets under the same brand, requiring a centralised control system and HAS.
| Requirement | Details |
| Staff | At least 1 Muslim Malaysian employee per outlet present during operations |
| Management | A Halal Executive and Internal Halal Committee must be appointed at company or central kitchen level |
| System | HAS developed at management level and implemented at every outlet |
Catering and convention centre central kitchens
Food must be prepared in Halal-certified kitchens and application must cover the whole kitchen area.
Depending on size (determined by aforementioned annual revenue) personnel and management requirements differ.
| Industry Size | System | Details |
| Large / Medium | HAS | At least 2 Muslim employees per kitchen; appoint Halal Executive and Internal Halal Committee |
| Small | IHCS | At least 1 Muslim employee per premise; appoint Halal Supervisor |
Mobile premises
These require an IHCS unless it has three or more premises which makes it a chain.
| Requirement | Details |
| Preparation | Processing done entirely on-site or at a central kitchen |
| Staff | At least 1 Muslim Malaysian employee present during operations |
| Management | IHCS implemented as per Manual MHMS 2020 |
| Operation | Must operate at approved locations |
| Storage | If fully on-site, provide dedicated storage for ingredients and tools |
Cafeterias in food courts (centrally managed)
Certification managed by the food court management and requires HAS.
| Requirement | Details |
| Application | Halal application managed by food court management |
| Staff | At least 1 Muslim Malaysian employee per premise present during operations |
| Management | Halal Executive and Internal Halal Committee appointed at management level, with a tenant representative included |
| System | HAS developed at management level and implemented across all premises |
Kiosks
Typically treated as small or micro industries and require an IHCS.
| Requirement | Details |
| Staff | At least 1 Muslim Malaysian employee per kiosk present during operations |
| Management | IHCS implemented as per Manual MHMS 2020 |
| Preparation | Food and beverages must be prepared in an Halal-certified kitchen |
Once your F&B business meets all JAKIM requirements, you can proceed with an SPHM application.
But first, the fees!
Fees
There are three main types of fees:
- processing
- certification / license
- ad hoc
There is a RM20 processing fee for domestic business entities and RM200 for foreign entities.
The certification fee depends on type and size of F&B premise.
| Category | Premise Type | Fee (RM) |
| Food Premises | Restaurant, café, canteen, bakery, chain, mobile premise, cafeteria, and kiosk | 100 |
| Hotels | 4 stars and above | 500 |
| 3 stars and below | 200 | |
| Catering / Convention Centres | Small | 100 |
| Medium | 400 | |
| Large | 700 |
Lastly, ad hoc fees are for specific post-certification circumstances that must go through JAKIM:
- Menu addition: RM200
- Halal logo poster printing: RM50 / poster
- Halal certificate reprint: RM50 / certificate
- Consignment note issuance: RM100 / consignee
Note: The fees listed above do not include third party service charges, but we’re very reasonable, so get in touch for help 🙂
Steps in the application process
The SPHM application is done online via JAKIM’s MYeHALAL system.
From end-to-end, the process generally has seven main steps.
| Step | Action Required | Timeline |
| 1. Account Registration | Register an account on MYeHALAL | Usually verified within 24 working hours |
| 2. Online Submission | Submit online Halal application | Ensure form is filled accurately |
| 3. Document Submission | Submit supporting documents | Must submit within five (5) working days of online submission |
| 4. Fee Payment | Receive payment letter from JAKIM and settle processing and certification fees | Must pay within 14 working days of receiving the fee letter |
| 5. Field Audit | The field audit is scheduled and conducted by inspectors, and includes opening meeting, document review, field inspection, report preparation, and closing meeting | Set by JAKIM based on availability, so the premise must be ready at all times |
| 6. Corrective Action (if NCR issued) | If non-compliance found, owner must provide written response of corrections with supporting documents and photos | At officers’ discretion but typically up to 14 working days |
| 7. Final Decision & Issuance | Halal Confirmation Panel makes final decision | If approved Halal certificate is issued within five (5) working days |
License validity periods
First-time Halal certificates generally have a standard validity of two (2) years.
Applicants who demonstrate strict compliance over the next five years may receive an extended validity of five (5) years the next time they renew their Halal certificate.
On that note, let’s wrap this up with post-certification compliance.
Post-certification compliance
Once certified, the Halal holder is responsible for continuous compliance.
JAKIM can and often will conduct both scheduled and unscheduled premise audits to ensure compliance, during which their officers must be given full access to the entire premise, documents, and the right to interview staff and take samples.
Non-compliance penalties
If officers find a premise violates Halal requirements, they may take action depending on severity of the breach.
There are three levels of non-conformance, each with increasingly severe penalties.
| Severity | Penalty |
| Minor | A warning or notice to fix issues within 14 days |
| Major | Immediate certificate suspension until corrective actions taken and panel decides to reinstate status |
| Serious | Immediate certificate withdrawal, MYeHALAL account frozen ≥3 months, and related premises affected if central kitchen involved |
If their Halal certificate is suspended or withdrawn, the business is immediately prohibited from using the Halal Malaysia logo or any halal expression or label.
A comprehensive list of examples of offences under each category can be found in Part 7 of JAKIM’s Halal Certification Manual–but the easier thing to do is just stay compliant!
That’s it from us, and we wish you all the best with getting your F&B business Halal-certifed.
Let MISHU help get your business Halal-certified
If you’re interested in pursuing Halal certification for your F&B business, our team can help prepare and submit necessary documents, liaise with the right authorities, and guide you through each step of the Halal certification process.