A brand owner chooses a Malaysian factory because its website shows a JAKIM halal certificate, places the first order, and then learns the Halal Malaysia logo cannot go on the new product. Nothing went wrong at the factory. The certificate on the website covers the factory’s contract manufacturing service, and under Malaysia’s own procedure it says nothing about any product made there. This article shows which certificate belongs to whom, who applies for the product certificate, and what to settle with the factory before the formula is fixed.
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Three certificates, three different holders
A halal private-label product made in Malaysia normally involves three separate layers of certification: the factory’s certificate under the contract manufacturing (OEM) scheme, a product certificate under the scheme for that kind of product, and halal evidence for each raw material.
Malaysian halal certification is run by JAKIM (the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) together with the state Islamic religious councils and departments. The governing document for production inside Malaysia is the Manual Prosedur Pensijilan Halal Malaysia (Domestik) 2020 — the Malaysian Halal Certification Procedure Manual (Domestic) 2020, cited below as “the manual”. The manual states that it is issued under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011 (Act 730) through the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011. Procedure 4 lists nine certification schemes: food and beverage products, cosmetic products, pharmaceutical products, food premises, consumer goods, logistics services, slaughterhouses, contract manufacturing/OEM, and medical device products.
| Layer | Scheme in the manual | Who holds it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factory | Contract manufacturing/OEM scheme | The manufacturer | The service of making products for other companies under a written contract |
| Product | The product scheme — food and beverage, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, consumer goods or medical device | The manufacturer, or the brand owner, depending on who applies | The named products, and the right to use the Halal Malaysia logo on them |
| Raw materials | Not a scheme of their own; evidence required under Procedure 17 | Each ingredient’s supplier or certifier | That every ingredient is acceptable and traceable |
Checked against the manual as published on JAKIM’s halal portal on 17 October 2026. JAKIM’s portal also lists circulars issued in 2026 under the manual; read the current circulars as well before relying on any single procedure quoted here.
The OEM certificate does not certify your product
Procedure 18(8)(b) of the manual says the OEM scheme cannot be used as halal certification of the products manufactured, and that each product that is to carry the halal logo must be applied for under the relevant product scheme.
The manual repeats the point in the rules on logo use. Procedure 41(6) says that a holder of an OEM-scheme certificate must not use, print, attach or display the Halal Malaysia logo on the products it processes or manufactures, unless those products hold a certificate under a product scheme, such as the food and beverage scheme or the cosmetic scheme.
The OEM certificate is still worth checking, for a different reason. Under Procedure 17(17) and Procedure 18(8)(i), a company applying for a product certificate must make sure that the party it appoints to manufacture under contract already holds a certificate under the OEM scheme. A factory without one therefore cannot be your route to a certified product, however strong its other credentials are.
What to ask a candidate factory, in this order:
- Do you hold a current certificate under the contract manufacturing/OEM scheme? Ask for the certificate, then verify it yourself on JAKIM’s portal under the OEM category.
- Which product scheme does your OEM certificate relate to? Procedure 18(8)(j) requires a separate OEM application for each type of contract manufacturing — food and pharmaceutical contract manufacturing, for example, are applied for separately.
- Do you already hold product certificates for products like mine? That tells you whether the factory has taken a comparable formula through the process before.
Who applies for the product certificate: the factory or you
The manual lists the brand owner (pemilik jenama) as an eligible applicant under the food and beverage, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, consumer goods and medical device product schemes, so the product certificate can be held either by the manufacturer or by the brand owner.
This list of eligible applicants is in Procedure 21(19). The choice has practical effects:
| Question | Manufacturer holds the product certificate | Brand owner holds the product certificate |
|---|---|---|
| Who deals with JAKIM and the audits | The manufacturer | The brand owner, with the manufacturer’s cooperation on site |
| What happens if you change factory | You depend on the new factory applying again | Procedure 39(1)(c) lists a change of contract manufacturer as a ground for cancelling the certificate, so a new application is needed either way |
| Who controls the product listing | The manufacturer | The brand owner |
| Eligibility conditions to meet | The manufacturer’s | Yours — Procedure 5 starts with a valid business registration from the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) or an equivalent Malaysian registration |
The manual applies to companies registered in Malaysia or abroad that carry out production in Malaysia, and its fee schedule has separate lines for applicants registered abroad. Whether your company qualifies as a brand-owner applicant without a Malaysian entity is a question for JAKIM, not for this article. Confirm the route against the current procedure before you plan around it. Note also Procedure 6(8): finished products, from Malaysia or abroad, that are only relabelled without any processing in Malaysia are not eligible.
💬 Not sure whether your company or the factory should hold the product certificate? We map the options against the current procedure before the formula is fixed. Ask us about your product.
What your formula and your label must survive
Before a halal application can succeed, every raw material in your formula must be traceable to its original maker and supported by a recognised halal certificate or, where that is missing, by full supporting documents.
Procedure 17(1) of the manual sets the raw material rules. In outline:
- Raw materials from animal sources must hold a valid halal certificate from the competent authority or a recognised halal certification body.
- A raw material that is not halal-certified, or is certified by a body JAKIM does not recognise, needs complete supporting documents: its composition, process flow chart and source.
- The original manufacturer of every raw material must be identifiable.
- A raw material that a third party has processed further — cut, pre-mixed or repacked, including by a supplier or trader — must itself hold a valid halal certificate.
- Every raw material is declared in the online application (MYeHALAL) in the same detail as on its own label. Under Procedure 21, coded ingredients must also be given their real name, not only a trade name.
JAKIM publishes a list of recognised foreign halal certification bodies on its portal. If your formula relies on an imported ingredient certified abroad, check the certifier against that list first. If it is not on the list, plan for the supporting documents above.
Two further conditions catch brand owners out:
- The factory must make only halal products. Procedure 5(9) requires applicants to produce or handle only halal products, including trading products. Procedure 18(8)(c) applies the same rule to OEM-scheme holders. A formula with an ingredient of doubtful status is a problem for the factory’s whole certification, not only for your product, so expect a careful factory to refuse it.
- Your product and brand names must not say “halal”. Procedure 5(12) says the company name, product name, ingredient names and brand name applied for must not use the word “halal” or any other wording that suggests the product is for Muslim consumers.
Whether a particular ingredient is acceptable is a religious and technical determination made by the certifying authority. This article does not make that determination. Where an ingredient is questionable — gelatin, alcohol-based extracts and animal-derived excipients are the usual examples — see our note on halal, kosher and vegan formulation in Japan-made products, which explains where these materials hide in a formula.
Put the arrangement in writing
The manual requires a written contract or agreement between the manufacturer and the client or brand owner, so the halal arrangement should be a section of your manufacturing agreement, not an email.
This requirement is Procedure 18(8)(h). Beyond that minimum, the agreement should cover the following:
| Clause | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which party applies for and holds the product certificate | Decides who controls the listing and who answers JAKIM |
| Approved raw materials and approved suppliers, by name | A substitution can invalidate the certificate |
| Notice before any change of ingredient, supplier or site | Gives you time to update the application before the change |
| Access to the certificate and audit findings | You need to know about a non-conformity before your customer does |
| Validity and renewal responsibility | Procedure 35 sets three years for the cosmetic, consumer goods, pharmaceutical, OEM and medical device schemes and two years for food and beverage products; Procedure 22(2) requires renewal between six and three months before expiry |
| Labelling and logo approval | Procedure 41(1) allows the logo only for a valid certificate holder with permission from the authority |
Verify the certificate yourself, and check the destination market
Check every certificate you are shown on JAKIM’s own portal, and confirm separately that the destination market accepts Malaysian certification for your product category.
JAKIM’s halal portal has a “Verify Halal Status” search by category, including a separate category for contract manufacturing/OEM. Search the company and confirm the scheme, the products listed and the expiry date. A certificate image in a sales deck proves only that one once existed.
A Malaysian certificate is not automatically accepted everywhere. Several importing countries run their own halal systems or keep their own lists of recognised foreign certifiers. Indonesia, for example, has its own halal product assurance regime. The importing country decides, so confirm acceptance with the destination’s authority or your importer before the first production run.
For the rest of the Malaysian sourcing route, including SSM, SIRIM, certificates of origin and ports, see the Malaysia buyer guide. If your range also includes engineered parts, see our notes on rubber and plastic parts made in Malaysia and electronics contract manufacturing in Malaysia.
💬 Ready to brief a Malaysian manufacturer on a halal product under your brand? We handle the factory check, the certificate verification and the written arrangement as one project. Send us the product and the target market.
Frequently asked questions
1. My Malaysian factory is JAKIM-certified. Can I put the halal logo on my product?
Not on the strength of the factory’s OEM certificate alone. Procedure 18(8)(b) of the manual says the OEM scheme does not certify the products made, and Procedure 41(6) bars the logo on those products unless they hold a certificate under a product scheme.
2. Can the brand owner hold the product certificate instead of the factory?
The manual lists the brand owner as an eligible applicant under the food and beverage, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, consumer goods and medical device product schemes. Eligibility conditions apply, starting with a valid Malaysian business registration, so confirm your company’s position with JAKIM first.
3. What happens to the certificate if I move production to another factory?
Procedure 39(1)(c) lists a change of contract manufacturer as a ground for cancelling the certificate. Plan for a new application and allow for it in your timing.
4. Can I call my brand “Halal Something”?
No. Procedure 5(12) says the company, product, ingredient and brand names applied for must not use the word “halal” or wording that suggests the product is for Muslim consumers.
5. How do I check that a certificate I have been shown is genuine and current?
Search the company on JAKIM’s halal portal using “Verify Halal Status”, under the relevant category, and confirm the scheme, the listed products and the expiry date.
Sources: JAKIM, Manual Prosedur Pensijilan Halal Malaysia (Domestik) 2020, Procedures 4, 5, 6, 17, 18, 21, 22, 35, 39 and 41; JAKIM halal portal (halal.gov.my), Verify Halal Status and list of recognised foreign halal certification bodies. Checked on 17 October 2026.