Halal Mandatory on 17 October 2026: What to Prepare Now

From 17 October 2026, food, drink, slaughter products, and slaughter services from micro and small enterprises must carry a halal certificate. The same date closes the window for traditional medicines, health supplements, cosmetics, chemical products, biological products, genetically engineered products, and consumer goods.

What happens if you miss it

Businesses that fail to comply face administrative sanctions: written warnings, administrative fines, and ultimately withdrawal of goods from circulation.

The order of work if you are starting now

1. Pick your route. If you are a micro or small enterprise with a low-risk product and unambiguously halal ingredients, the self-declaration route is far faster. Otherwise, prepare for the regular route.
2. Gather your legal documents. The business licence (NIB) is non-negotiable — without it, registration cannot start.
3. Build the ingredient register. This consumes the most time and derails more applications than anything else. Every ingredient needs supporting documentation from its supplier.
4. Appoint a Halal Supervisor. They must be Muslim and hold a training or competency certificate.
5. Register on SIHALAL. Complete the SJPH documents and submit.

What most often stalls an application

From our casework, three things hold files up more than any others: suppliers with no halal certificate for their material, a process flow diagram that has never been drawn, and no evidence of facility cleaning where a production line is shared.

Start with the ingredient register. The rest can follow.