Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT):
Understanding the Supply and Demand Sides
In the OIC Member Countries
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The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) uses MS 1500: 2004 as the basis for
issuing halal certificates for products and services under its responsibilities as the country’s
sole halal certification body today. The key strength of Malaysia when it comes to Halal food is
it’s wide implementation of Halal certification for restaurants. The restaurants, which get Halal
certification, are clearly identifiable through the display of its halal logo.
b) Prayer Facilities
There are thousands of mosques are located in Malaysia. Most shopping malls have Halal
restaurants as well as prayer rooms to ensure an enjoyable shopping experience for Muslim
shoppers.
c) Ramadhan Services
Malaysia is one of the best destinations to spend Ramadhan. Many Muslim friendly services are
available in the country. A number of Muslim tourists spend their Ramadhan in cities such as
Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Penang is a state in Malaysia located on the northwest coast of
Peninsular Malaysia, by the Strait of Malacca. These cities offer Ramadhan night markets with
street food and with Hotels offering Iftar buffets.
d) Water friendly Washroom
Across the country, most Hotels and public toilets are water usage friendly.
e) No Non-Halal Activities and Recreational facilities and facilities with privacy
There are growing numbers of facilities, especially Hotels which are catering to this need.
Zulkifly Md Said, Director General of Islamic Tourism Centre Malaysia commented that
Malaysian hotels are now more focused on the sensitivities towards the needs of a Muslim
traveler. The Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia is looking at coming up with additional
guidelines in this area of non-halal activities.
Demand Side Analysis
a) Leisure Travel
Key source markets for leisure tourism for Malaysia is the neighboring countries Indonesia,
Singapore and Brunei. It also attracts a sizeable number of tourists from the GCC counties for
leisure travel. Malaysia has many leisure products, from shopping, dining, and sightseeing to
beaches. Competition in attracting the Muslim tourist remains strong from Singapore,
Indonesia and also non-OIC member state countries like Japan and Korea.
b) Business Travel
Malaysia is a major MICE destination in the region with many major conferencing and event
venues. It has also been a major venue for Islamic or halal themed global events. KLCC and
World Trade Centre are two of the major venues in Kuala Lumpur. It is also a regional financial