29/04/2026

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WEDNESDAY | APR 29, 2026

Mihas 2026 aims to hit RM4.5 billion in trade value

Ű BY HAYATUN RAZAK sunbiz@thesundaily.com

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Inter national Halal Showcase 2026 (Mihas 2026), organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Cor poration (Matrade) under the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti), is targeting RM4.5 billion in trade value, alongside 2,380 booths and 45,000 visitors from 45 countries. Matrade CEO Abu Bakar Yusof said Malaysia is positioning the platform as a more precise, outcomes-driven marketplace to sustain export growth, deepen value creation and reinforce its standing in an increasingly competitive global halal economy. “In 2026, we are determined to build on the strong momentum of Mihas 2025, which was a record breaking year that saw 2,400 booths from 43 countries, RM6.05 billion in sales driven by the International Sourcing Programme, and over 50,000 visitors, reaffirming Mihas as a leading global halal trade hub. Building on this success, Mihas 2026 will focus on stronger participation, higher-value buyer engagement and expanded global reach,” he said at the soft launch of Mihas 2026 yesterday. Abu Bakar noted that the global halal economy, valued at US$3.5 trillion (RM13.8 trillion), is projected to reach US$5 trillion by 2030, driven by demand for products anchored on trust, safety, quality and transparency. He said halal has evolved beyond food and religious compliance into a broader value proposition in global commerce. “For many years, halal was understood too narrowly. Today, it represents trust, safety, quality, ethical sourcing, transparency and integrity.” He said Malaysia’s position is anchored by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) certi fication ecosystem. “When busi nesses carry the Jakim mark, they wield a prestigious global passport of quality. We define its rigorous stan dards.” While first-quarter export numbers remained strong, Abu Bakar said,

“The emergence of safe-haven locations in gateway cities in markets such as the United Kingdom and Australia comes as ultra-wealthy individuals increasingly organise their lives across multiple jurisdictions, with family offices actively managing tax, lifestyle and political risk. Australia, in particular, continues to draw strong domestic interest, with Malaysians comprising the ninth largest source of investment of residential land in recent years,” concluded Yeoh. First launched in 2007, The Wealth Report is the ultimate guide to prime property markets, global wealth distribution, the threats and oppor tunities for wealth, commercial property investment opportunities, philanthropy and luxury spending trends. trends, consumer shifts and emer ging growth markets, while ex panding access to new trade corridors across Asean, South Asia, Central Asia and Africa, as part of efforts to turn business matching into actual transactions. “The future of exhibitions cannot be measured simply by booth numbers, visitor traffic or ceremonial handshakes. It must be measured by the quality of opportunities created, the speed of connections made, and the commercial outcomes delivered,” said Abu Bakar. Mihas 2026 will also introduce the Women in Export (WiEX) initiative to expand participation of women-led businesses, which account for about 20% of SMEs but remain under represented globally. “Many women-led businesses are innovative and quality-driven, yet remain largely domestic-focused,” Abu Bakar said. WiEX aims to broaden Malaysia’s exporter base, reduce reliance on a narrow group of firms, and strengthen long-term resilience in the halal economy. Miti deputy secretary-general (investment and management) Datuk Bahria Mohd Tamil said the theme of Mihas 2026 resonates strongly with the aspirations of the National Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030). “As we embark on the RMK13 (13MP) chapter, the halal sector is no longer just a contributor to growth but a strategic enabler of economic transformation. By aligning with NIMP 2030 priorities, we aim to establish Malaysia as a global halal leader, driving halal exports to RM80 billion and increasing the sector’s GDP contribution to 11% through inno vation and resilience.”

o Matrade positioning platform as more precise, outcomes driven marketplace for halal industry geopolitical pressures are expected to weigh on second-quarter perfor mance, with exporters already facing rising logistics costs, shipment delays and constraints in the movement of goods. The full impact has yet to be quantified but is likely to become clearer in the coming months as global trade conditions evolve, he added. To mitigate these risks, Abu Bakar said, Malaysia is accelerating efforts to diversify export markets beyond traditional destinations such as the United States, China, Japan and Singapore, shifting focus towards emerging regions including Africa, Central Asia, South Asia and Asean. “Exposure to the Middle East remains limited, accounting for about 3% of total trade, although halal exports to the region make up around 10% to 15% of the segment, allowing Malaysia to manage geopolitical risks while maintaining its presence in the market.” Abu Bakar said geopolitical ten sions are reshaping trade flows, for cing companies to rethink sourcing strategies and pushing buyers to prioritise trusted and reliable par tners. “Disruption is never per manent. Markets may contract, but they recover. Trade routes may shift,

Abu Bakar delivering his welcome remarks during the soft launch of the 22nd Malaysia International Halal Showcase 2026 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

pharmaceuticals, wellness products, cosmetics and advanced ingredients. “Malaysia is not only exporting more, but also exporting smarter and higher in value,” Abu Bajar said. Under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), halal exports are targeted to reach RM80 billion by 2030, while overall export growth for 2026 is projected at 3% to 5%. Mihas 2026 will integrate artificial intelligence across its trade eco system to improve deal conversion, including buyer verification to ensure engagement with decision-makers, predictive matchmaking based on more than 1,700 data points covering demand, product fit and buyer intent, and automated scheduling to accelerate the transition from introductions to negotiations and agreements. The platform will also provide market intelligence on demand

Luxury residences in Kuala Lumpur showcased stable appreciation, growing by 1.1% in 2025 according to Knight Frank’s Prime International Residential Index (PIRI 100). The performance is in line with the residential segment’s steady perfor mance in recent years, as transactions grew 5.4% from 399,008 in 2023 to 420,545 in 2024. “We’re looking at a mixed outlook in 2026, as supportive housing reforms such as the proposed Real Property Development Act and Transforming and Empowering Data Usage in Housing platform serve to buoy dampened market sentiment amid wider uncertainty. Against this backdrop, prime residential assets continue to hold their value, though but they reopen. Demand may soften, but it returns.” He added that while disruptions are cyclical, preparedness will deter mine which businesses ultimately benefit when conditions stabilise. “The real question before us is not whether recovery will come, but who will be ready when it does.” Abu Bakar said Malaysia’s trade remained resilient, with first-quarter 2026 total trade rising 10.4% to RM789.85 billion, exports up 12.7% to over RM426 billion, and the surplus increasing 54% to RM63.22 billion. Halal exports grew 10.9% to RM68.52 billion in 2025, accounting for 4.3% of total exports, led by food and beverages (53.8%) and halal ingredients (31.2%), while palm oil and derivatives rose 55% to RM4.57 billion. Malaysia is also shifting towards higher-value segments such as

Malaysia’s billionaire club to grow 39% by 2031: Knight Frank report PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s billionaire population is set to grow 39% by 2031, earning the country the fifteenth rank among nations with more than five billionaires, according to The Wealth Report , Knight Frank’s flagship publication covering global perspectives on prime property and private wealth. that are now shaping the global landscape, and despite huge geopolitical shocks and inflationary pressures, private capital has shown extraordinary resilience. Our latest results reflect a deep structural acceleration in wealth creation worldwide,” said Knight Frank global head of research, Liam Bailey. formance and an active capital market, with listings growing year-on year since 2020,” said Knight Frank Malaysia group managing director, Keith Ooi. private capital and institutional investors may look into diversification to mitigate risks,” said Knight Frank Property Hub international project marketing executive director, Adrian Yeoh buying patterns and boosting demand for super prime rentals as more UHNWIs spend fewer than 90 days per year in traditional hubs.

The PIRI 100 tracks movements in luxury prices across the world’s top 100 residential markets. Kuala Lumpur’s stable growth rates reflect divergent movements across the Asia Pacific, with values in Hong Kong falling 2.1% in 2025, while Singapore continued to set record prices exceeding US$6,000 psf with 7.9% growth. More investors are turning to safe havens abroad as volatility hedges amid ongoing political uncertainty, with Malaysia’s direct investment abroad rising 65% quarter-on-quarter to RM2.8 billion in Q4 2025. These movements are supported by ultra-mobility trends among the UHNWI segment, which are reshaping

In Malaysia, domestic UHNWIs are projected to showcase five-year growth of 20.1%, from 1,566 indi viduals in 2026 to 1,881 in 2031, representing a marked increase from the past five-year growth rate of 6.5% from 2021 to 2026. This compares to comparable rates of 24.3% for the Asia-Pacific region as a whole from 2025 to 2031. “The rise in ultra-wealthy indi viduals in Malaysia is attributed to the country’s strong economic expansion despite global uncertainty and energy price fluctuations. This was supported by the ringgit’s continuing per

The projected rise mirrors dramatic acceleration in wealth creation world wide, despite geopolitical uncertainty, rising interest rates and uneven economic performance. The number of ultra-high-net worth individuals (UHNWIs) world wide with assets worth more than US$30 million (RM118.7 million) increased by 162,191 between 2021 and 2026, equivalent to 89 new UHNWIs every day. “We are witnessing one of the most significant shifts in global wealth distribution in modern history. A cohort of fast maturing economies