Malaysia is publicly confident that a global Halal standard can be reached.

Reuters is quoting its religious affairs minister Jamil Khir Baharom as saying:-

“"Malaysia's Halal certification is recognised worldwide so perhaps we can play an important role in creating a global standard,"

At the moment there are at least 17 different Halal standards in use around the world, plus there are some Muslim countries, for example in the Middle East, who have yet to agree a coherent approach to branding Halal.

Malaysia has been successful at branding Halal, was a first mover in the field and is now busy exporting its expertise in the field.

In reality we can expect this process to take years as it is not just a debate about Islamic principles but also national pride.