@Halal July/August 2021 | Page 9

Malaysia Pavilion announces Malaysian-owned largest halal quick serving restaurant chain in the world as its café operator for Expo 2020 Dubai
July-August . 2021 | @ Halal

Industry

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MA R R Y - B R O W N will represent one of the best Malaysian brands at the Malaysia Pavilion and feature Malaysian signature delicacies in its menu as well as fast food favourites that have proven to tantalise international taste buds .

The offerings include alltime favourite Malaysian fried chicken , variety of burgers , delicious Arabian wraps and the Malaysian classic “ Nasi Lemak ” ( fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf ) among other rice dishes such as Nasi Kari Ayam ( Curry Chicken Rice ), and Malaysia › s famous drink Teh Tarik .
“ Malaysia Pavilion is incredibly happy to have Marrybrown as our café operator to represent our Malaysian identity . Marrybrown is a shining example of a Malaysian business which pioneered fast food chain franchising in Malaysia and went on to successfully spread its wings globally ,” said Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor , Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian
PGMALL HAS joined hands with Penang government ’ s Trade , Industry and Entrepreneur Development executive council to help the local business community and their customers through Penang E-Bazaar .
The programme is managed by Penang Halal International and aims to help micro businesses and SMEs affected by the pandemic . The Penang E-Bazaar will include variety of products from fashion to home appliances .
A total of RM200,000 in the form of discount vouchers has been provided by the state government on the launch of Penang E-Bazaar on PGMall .
“ The State government will continue to support the business community by rolling out initiatives to revitalise the economy ,” said Chief Mister Chow Kon Yeow .
He also mentioned that the State government hoped to assist local businesses with their e-commerce opportunities .
PGMall will focus on the marketing part by offering free shipping and promotional vouch-

Marrybrown the flag-bearer

Malaysia Pavilion announces Malaysian-owned largest halal quick serving restaurant chain in the world as its café operator for Expo 2020 Dubai
Green Technology and Climate Change Centre ( MGTC ).
Malaysia ’ s overall participation at Expo 2020 is led by the Ministry of Science , Technology and Innovation Malaysia while MGTC is the implementing agency .
“ With its vision to bring Malaysian favourite dishes to the world , Marrybrown has flown the Malaysian flag high by going global as a brand . Marrybrown fittingly represent the Malaysian spirit and the best brands of Malaysia at Expo ,” added Shamsul .
Marrybrown currently has more than 500 restaurants in Malaysia and across 16 countries serving millions of customers in Sweden , Singapore , Thailand , Indonesia , Myanmar , India , Maldives , Africa and the Middle East .
Back home it has won several accolades as well as regional awards
such as Asia ’ s Best Brand Award . In the Middle East , Marrybrown received “ The Most Successful Malaysia Franchise in the Middle East ” recognition and “ The Family Friendly Fastfood Restaurant Of The Year ”.
Malaysia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is designed as a “ Rainforest Canopy ” and themed “ Energising Sustainability ”. It is located between the Sustainability District and Mobility District at the 438-hectare expo site .
The Pavilion will house segments for permanent display and showcases , a business centre , an amphitheatre and retail and café areas .
“ Visitors will end their tour at the café area . They can expect to be tempted by the aromatic smell of fried chicken and other Marrybrown dishes inviting them to stop by for a bite or takeaways ,” said Shamsul Bahar .
In line with Malaysia ’ s sustainability commitment and its “ No Plastic Pledge ” for Expo 2020 , environmentally-conscious customers can be assured that utensils and packaging used in the café are only from sustainable materials and non-plastics .

Penang rolls out initiatives to support businesses , revitalise economy

ers . This offer aims to encourage people to support sellers who participate in the campaign .
Penang business owners who take part in the Penang E-Bazaar campaign will receive free training on e-commerce module . This module will include digital marketing , photography skills and more .
The state Trade , Industry and Entrepreneur Development Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain said that the platform will enable the state to progress with greater strength in their local business engagement .
This is because local business owners in the state will be equipped with the necessary skills and innovative solutions which assist them with e-commerce skills and how to engage with their customers online .
“ The collaboration opens new channels for the business community , making it possible for micro and SMEs to engage with their customers as well as sustain their businesses alternatively ,” said the chairman .
The Penang Halal International chief executive officer , Aida Lim Abdullah , highlighted that this Penang E-Bazaar would be another e-commerce platform which offer more options for merchants and consumers another digital marketing experience .
“ As the No 1 local e-commerce platform , PGMall is proud to be partnering with Penang Halal International on assisting Penang sellers grow and prosper ,” said Jerry Ng , the PGMall chief operating officer .
“ It is important for sellers to establish their online presence for their business during the pandemic .
“ By providing free shipping vouchers , PGMall is able to smoothen the transition of new sellers to e-commerce and boost existing sellers on our platform ,” Ng added .
This partnership highlights the shared commitment of the state government and private sector in helping local merchants by enabling them to promote and market their products on PGMall .

Briefs

Bank Muamalat continues to provide payment assistance to targeted groups
BANK MUAMALAT Malaysia Berhad will continue to provide payment assistance to its customers who are facing financial distress due to the Covid-19 pandemic .
Bank Muamalat Chief Executive Officer , Khairul Kamarudin said the bank was ready to assist its individual and business customers , particularly those from lower-income groups and in locked-down sectors whose livelihoods are impacted due to the current economic disruptions .
“ At Bank Muamalat , we will continue to actively engage our customers to provide payment assistance , aligned to individual and businesses ’ financial needs and circumstances . We hope this will provide some measure of relief to the affected groups as we continue to weather these challenging times ,” said Khairul .
This is in line with the recent announcement by Prime Minister , Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that B40 groups and those affected by job loss , as well as microenterprises and SMEs that are not allowed to operate during the MCO be given the option to obtain three months moratorium , or reductions in their monthly payment amounts .
Bank Pembangunan featured in global responsible banking report
BANK PEMBANGUNAN Malaysia Bhd ( BPMB ) has been selected to feature in the global responsible banking report by the Islamic Finance Council UK ( UKIFC ), in partnership with Malaysia-based International Shariah Research Academy for Islamic Finance ( ISRA ) and the Global Ethical Finance Initiative ( GEFI ).
BPMB stated the report provides an analysis of responsible banking in the Islamic finance sector . The report assesses the level of engagement with the Principles for Responsible Banking ( PRB ) among banks in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation ( OIC ) member states and analyses the approaches used by nine Islamic finance signatories . PRB is the world ’ s leading framework for responsible banking , launched in 2019 . It was strengthened by six principles that help signatory banks align with the United Nation ’ s ( UN ) Sustainable Development Goals ( UN SDGs ) and the Paris Climate Agreement .
“ As one of Malaysia ’ s leading development financial institutions , we are honoured to be featured in this report as this signals our commitment to the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative ( UNEP FI ) Principles for Responsible Banking ,” said BPMB CEO , Arshad Mohamed Ismail .
Aminvest unveils new sukuk fund , AmIncome Sofwah
AmInvest has unveiled its latest sukuk offering , AmIncome Sofwah (“ Fund ”), which aimed to provide regular income via yearly income distribution . It invests principally in both local sukuk and Islamic money market instruments . AmInvest is the fund management brand under AmInvestment Bank .
Kevin Wong Weng Tuck , Principal Officer and Chief Investment Officer of AmIslamic Funds Management Sdn Bhd , said : “ The Fund provides an opportunity to potentially reap higher Shariah-compliant returns compared to a general investment account-i over the medium to long term .”
Goh Wee Peng , Chief Executive of AmInvest , added : “ Against the backdrop of the prevailing low interest rate environment , the Fund is suitable for retail and institutional investors seeking higher yields . We will rely on our stringent Shariahcompliant investment process coupled with superior credit selection for the Fund ’ s sukuk portfolio by our in-house proprietary credit research unit to optimise returns for the Fund within acceptable risk boundaries .”
The Fund was offered for subscription at an initial offer price of RM1 per unit until July 6 , 2021 .