AN EXPLORATION OF THE MUSLIM CONSUMERS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS MALAYSIAN HALAL PRODUCTS

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of Muslim consumers towards Malaysian Halal products.

Design/Methodology/Approach: This exploratory research paper conducts a semi-structured in-depth interview to explore the perceptions of 35 international and local Muslim respondents in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) towards Malaysian Halal products.

Findings: The findings indicate that about 54% of consumers trust in Malaysian Halal products. Halal products’ attributes with two sub-categories include acceptance attribute and intrinsic attribute as well as the responsibility of the JAKIM stamp of approval as derived from the consumers’ perceptions. The strong points of Malaysian Halal products include suitability for Muslims and the belief that they are safe to consume. In contrast, non-Muslim producers and the low credibility of JAKIM are two main concerns for some consumers. Furthermore, Middle Easterners and Africans have a more positive attitude towards Malaysian Halal products than the Malaysian Bumiputra fraternity.

Originality/Value: This study is one of the first to gain a more accurate understanding of consumers’ evaluation of Malaysian Halal products.