The Malaysian government plans to turn the northernmost Kelantan-based Tok Bali into a Halal Food Resource Hub port for the Asian region in the future, says Agriculture and Food Industries Deputy Minister II Datuk Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh.
Dr Nik said Halal products will be exported through the Tok Bali Port due to its strategic sea route near the South China sea and also close to neighbouring ASEAN neighbours like Thailand and Vietnam.
In addition, muslim consumers will also be assured that products that transit via Tok Bali port will be properly inspected to ensure that they are halal-permissible. Dr Nik is confident that the port will become a leading trading centre as the government is also planning to build a sardine processing facility in Tok Bali.
The Finance Ministry has also approved a special tax incentive in a move to attract more investment in Kelantan, currently one of the least developed provinces in Malaysia. This will also benefit Tok Bali as a new growth centre in the state. Under the new incentive, the government is providing 100% income tax exemption for 15 years, and a special income tax rate of 17% for the following 5 years.
