By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Oct 4: From tasbih and kurta to food and beverages, Sarawak micro-entrepreneurs should look beyond conventional products and target the global halal market, which is estimated at more than USD3 trillion, says Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He said the huge Muslim consumer market, particularly in countries such as Saudi Arabia, presented opportunities for Sarawak businesses across various sectors, provided they understood the standards and requirements needed to enter it.
“If we can capture just 2 per cent of the market, how much is that? How many million? Hundreds of millions,” he said in his speech during the Welfare Micro-Entrepreneur Awards Ceremony 2026 in conjunction with the Sarawak Wellbest Carnival 2026 held at MetroCity Convention Centre here today.
Awang Tengah, who is also the Sarawak Minister for International Trade, Industry and Investment, further said entrepreneurs must first understand what was required to market halal products, including how food and agrofood products were processed and how businesses could comply with the relevant requirements.
But he stressed that the halal market was not limited to food.
He pointed to prayer beads, or tasbih, as one potential niche, noting that many tasbih sold in Saudi Arabia were sourced from China.
He said Sarawak entrepreneurs could produce their own tasbih using materials such as clay, with proper arrangement and design, and potentially penetrate markets in Makkah and Madinah.
“If we arrange them properly and get the design right, they can be made into tasbih, and we can penetrate the markets in Madinah and Makkah,” he said.
Fashion was another opportunity, he said, citing the popularity of kurtas in Saudi Arabia.
Awang Tengah said many of the garments were supplied by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India, despite Malaysia having the capability to produce similar products.
“Where is Malaysia? We have the capability,” he said.
Awang Tengah said Sarawak entrepreneurs should therefore look at what products were already in demand in major Muslim markets and develop competitive local alternatives.
He also stressed that businesses seeking to enter international markets must understand procurement requirements and ensure their products and services complied with the standards expected by buyers.
He said this included compliance with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles, particularly as Sarawak continued to attract domestic and foreign investments.
The Deputy Premier said entrepreneurs also needed to embrace digital platforms and e-commerce to overcome the limitations of Sarawak’s relatively small domestic market.
He said Sarawak’s overseas trade and tourism offices, including those in Singapore and Brunei and the planned offices in Pontianak and Abu Dhabi, could help local businesses access wider markets.
Awang Tengah said Sarawak’s trade missions also regularly brought small and medium-sized entrepreneurs from sectors including handicrafts, food, beverages and fashion to explore overseas opportunities.
He said micro-entrepreneurs under the Welfare Department should also be included in future trade missions.
Also present were Sarawak Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah; Deputy Minister for Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Mohamad Razi Sitam; Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment Sarawak (MINTRED) advisor Dato Sri Mohd Naroden Majais; and Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKM) director Semawi Mohamad. — DayakDaily
