With a decades-long commitment to Halal excellence, Nestlé Malaysia continues to play an active role in strengthening Malaysia’s Halal landscape. In collaboration with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), this commitment was showcased through the SYNERGY (Strengthening Your Network and Ecosystem for Resilient Growth) Halal Nestlé Malaysia initiative, held in partnership with JAKIM. Anchored on the theme “Memacu Halal, Memperkasa Komuniti”, the event highlighted how strong stakeholder collaboration can foster an inclusive, sustainable and future-ready Halal industry, further reinforcing Malaysia’s position as a global Halal leader.

Building on a shared dedication to Halal excellence, the programme also underscored JAKIM’s recognition of Nestlé Malaysia’s end-to-end Halal ecosystem. Since its early involvement in pioneering Halal practices in the 1970s, Nestlé Malaysia has consistently contributed to shaping industry standards. Today, its Halal commitment extends beyond its own operations to include education, community engagement, industry development and supply chain capability building. As the Global Centre of Halal Excellence for the Nestlé Group, Nestlé Malaysia also plays a key role in sharing locally developed practices and expertise across the Group’s global network, helping to strengthen trust and consistency in Halal standards worldwide.

Juan Aranols, Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Malaysia, said Malaysia has built a strong global reputation for Halal excellence, and Nestlé Malaysia is honoured to support this journey. He added that the company’s commitment is a trusted responsibility upheld daily across its operations and value chain, from Halal-certified manufacturing facilities to the communities it serves. Together with JAKIM and other like-minded stakeholders, Nestlé Malaysia has developed a holistic Halal ecosystem that empowers youth, supports entrepreneurs and strengthens the local supply chain, and the company will continue working closely with partners to further expand these efforts and drive the growth of Malaysia’s Halal industry.

Ustaz Muhyidin bin Aziz @ Saari, Director of the Halal Management Division at JAKIM, said that the development of a strong and credible Halal ecosystem requires continuous collaboration between regulators, industry players and the wider community. He noted that as a recognised global reference for Halal standards, JAKIM places strong emphasis on maintaining rigorous and trusted standards at every level. He added that initiatives such as those led by Nestlé Malaysia demonstrate how industry players can contribute meaningfully to strengthening Halal standards and building capabilities, complementing national efforts and enhancing Malaysia’s position as a leading global Halal hub.

Over the years, Nestlé Malaysia has introduced a wide range of initiatives to strengthen Halal awareness and capability. At grassroots level, the Halal@School programme with the Institute of Fatwa and Halal, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), has reached more than 6,000 students across Peninsular Malaysia, including state-level and Mega editions that introduce foundational Halal knowledge to young Malaysians. Complementing this, Halal@STEM, launched in 2025 with the Halal Products Research Institute, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), has engaged over 300 secondary school students from Melaka and Terengganu by integrating science and technology with a Halal-focused perspective. The inaugural HalalSTEM Expo, organised with International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Kuantan, also attracted 500 students from Pahang.


For aspiring entrepreneurs, the Nestlé Youngpreneurs Programme has provided 200 students from UPM and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia with practical business exposure and Halal best practices. Meanwhile, the SME Mentoring Programme, established in 2010 in collaboration with the Halal Development Corporation (HDC) and SME Corp, has supported more than 1,200 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in their Halal certification journey. More recently, Nestlé Malaysia introduced the first Halal certification mentoring initiative for third-party logistics providers together with JAKIM, involving 50 participants from 27 logistics companies to further strengthen Halal compliance within the supply chain.

In addition to community and industry initiatives, Nestlé Malaysia has also expanded public engagement through a podcast collaboration with the Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM). To date, the series has reached over 120,000 digital listeners and nearly 600,000 radio listeners nationwide, helping to broaden public understanding of Halal.

Collectively, these initiatives reflect Nestlé Malaysia’s integration of Halal as a core value embedded across the organisation, rather than solely a regulatory requirement. Looking ahead, the company remains committed to building on this foundation by expanding existing programmes, nurturing future Halal talent, enhancing industry capabilities and supporting the broader Halal value chain through collaborative and scalable initiatives.

Nestlé Malaysia continues to reaffirm its commitment to advancing Halal standards and fostering stronger collaboration across the industry, contributing to Malaysia’s ongoing leadership in the global Halal economy.