Malaysia Announces $200 Million Halal Meat Import from Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assures full compliance with Malaysian Halal standards and quality regulations

Kuala Lumpur: Pakistan and Malaysia on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening multifaceted cooperation pledging deeper engagement in trade, education, Halal certification, and anti-corruption efforts. In a major development, Malaysia announced plans to import $200 million worth of Halal meat from Pakistan, marking a significant boost to bilateral trade and economic partnership.

Following comprehensive and productive discussions between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim, both leaders addressed a joint press stakeout in Putrajaya. They highlighted that their talks covered a broad spectrum of cooperation and also touched upon key global concerns, including Israel’s ongoing aggression in Gaza.

Prime Minister Shehbaz, who is on his maiden official visit to Malaysia, expressed Pakistan’s keen interest in learning from Malaysia’s developmental model and exploring joint ventures in agriculture, IT, and technical training. “Pakistan and Malaysia can move forward together through win-win cooperation,” he said, noting the strong educational ties between the two countries.

Referring to Malaysia’s decision to allow $200 million worth of Halal meat imports from Pakistan, Shehbaz assured full compliance with Malaysian standards. “We will ensure that the exports meet all Halal certification requirements and market standards. With consumer satisfaction, the sky is the limit,” he remarked confidently.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz presented Anwar Ibrahim with an Urdu translation of his acclaimed book “SCRIPT: For a Better Malaysia.” He lauded Anwar’s visionary leadership, calling him a symbol of compassion, courage, and resilience. The translated version, he said, served as another bridge between Pakistan and Malaysia, aligned with Anwar’s Madani vision of innovation, sustainability, and mutual respect.

The Pakistani premier also appreciated Malaysia’s efforts to translate the works of Allama Iqbal into Malay, noting that Iqbal’s philosophy emphasized self-realization and nation-building through dedication and perseverance.

Expressing heartfelt gratitude for the “exceptionally warm welcome,” Shehbaz said he would return to Pakistan “inspired by Malaysia’s remarkable development journey.” He emphasized Pakistan’s determination to emulate Malaysia’s success, drawing upon its abundant natural resources, skilled human capital, and resilience.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his remarks, hailed the enduring partnership between the two countries in education, defense, and economy, and underscored the need to enhance collaboration in digital technology, energy, and agriculture. He assured Malaysia’s full support for facilitating Pakistan’s meat exports, saying his government “will do whatever is necessary to achieve these goals.”

Touching on regional dynamics, Anwar emphasized that peace between Pakistan and India was crucial for regional stability. He also lauded Pakistan’s firm stance on Gaza, reaffirming both nations’ call for decisive global action to end the suffering of Palestinians.

He appreciated the valuable role played by Pakistani professionals, students, and workers in Malaysia’s progress and thanked Pakistan for translating his book. “The intellectual legacy of Allama Iqbal continues to inspire us,” he added.

Pakistan and Malaysia signed six accords to strengthen bilateral cooperation covering different areas including education, Halal certification, tourism and combating corruption.

The pre-signed documents were exchanged at a ceremony held at Perdana Putra Complex – Office of the Malaysian Prime Minister – during the three-day official visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Malaysia, at the invitation of his Malay counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.

Both the leaders witnessed the ceremony held after their meeting as well as the delegation level talks.

Pakistan and Malaysia signed an MoU on Exchange of Notes between the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) and the Foreign Service Academy of Pakistan on cooperation in the field of training for diplomats. The documents were exchanged by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Malaysian Foreign Minister Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan.

As MoU was signed between the governments of Malaysia and Pakistan on cooperation in the field of higher education and the documents were exchanged by DPM Ishaq Dar and Malaysia’s Higher Education Minisyer Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir.