JASIN: Malaysian entrepreneurs should grab opportunities in the halal market of Asean member countries, where there are more than 200 million Muslim consumers, said Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Hamim Samuri.

“The Government is providing aid to local entrepreneurs to reach out to the foreign market.

“The halal hub is a good example where we had produced many entrepreneurs of halal products.

“I believe this model can help us get more entrepreneurs to grab the opportunities,” he told a news conference after visiting a factory operating in the Malacca Halal Hub (MHH) in Serkam, near here, yesterday.

Hamim said the hub, which is expected to generate sales of more than RM100mil a year through its entrepreneurs, could be made an example for more successful halal hubs in the country.

However, he added, only 10 of the 45 entrepreneurs under MHH had penetrated the foreign market.

He said the halal hub played an important role in improving the economy of the local community and it could be seen through MHH and the 500 job opportunities it had created for them.