JAKIM (Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia) is Malaysia's federal Halal authority. Pakistani exporters need JAKIM-recognised Halal certification to ship spices and seeds to Malaysia.
JAKIM — Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) — is the Malaysian federal government agency, sitting under the Prime Minister's Department, that administers and regulates Halal certification in Malaysia. It issues the Malaysia Halal Certificate (Sijil Halal Malaysia) for products manufactured or imported into Malaysia, and it maintains the official list of foreign Halal certification bodies whose certificates are recognised at the Malaysian border.
JAKIM operates under MS 1500:2019 — Halal Food: General Requirements and the Manual Procedure for Malaysia Halal Certification (MPPHM). The Malaysia Halal logo, with its distinctive star-and-letters design, is one of the most-recognised Halal marks worldwide and is widely accepted as a reference point in the global Halal trade.
Malaysia is a strategic Halal-trade gateway: it is a 60%+ Muslim-majority market of ~33 million people, a hub for Halal re-export into Asia-Pacific, and the host of the annual MIHAS (Malaysia International Halal Showcase). Pakistani spice, herb and seed exporters seeking Malaysian listings — supermarket private-label, food-service distribution, or use as ingredient in Malaysian-manufactured Halal-certified branded products — must hold a Halal certificate from a JAKIM-recognised foreign body.
JAKIM recognition also functions as a global signal of Halal credibility. A Pakistani exporter whose certifier is on JAKIM's recognised list typically finds the same certificate accepted in Brunei, Singapore (via MUIS reciprocity), and parts of Indonesia.
JAKIM-recognised Halal certifying bodies operating in Pakistan include the Pakistan Halal Authority and SANHA Halal Associates Pakistan (status subject to JAKIM's published list, which is updated periodically). The current recognised-body list is published at halal.gov.my.
How to verify: (1) check the JAKIM website's "Recognised Foreign Halal Certification Bodies" list for the current accepted certifiers from your country; (2) request the certificate copy with the certifier's logo and JAKIM-recognition reference; (3) ensure the product scope on the certificate matches the HS-classified goods being shipped; (4) for sensitive ingredients (gelatin, enzymes, flavours), expect Malaysian importers to request additional supplier-Halal-statement documents.
Reference: Malaysia Halal Certification — JAKIM, halal.gov.my. Standard: MS 1500:2019 — Halal Food: General Requirements (Third Revision), Department of Standards Malaysia. Manual Procedure for Malaysia Halal Certification (MPPHM Domestic 2020 / Foreign 2020).