Tiara Hotel Labuan receives halal certification

Tiara Hotel Labuan has received the halal food certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim).

The winner of the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2013 and Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards (Hapa), it is now the first four-star hotel in the duty-free-island to obtain the certification.

The halal certification is effective July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018 and was issued following a detailed assessment and interviews with managerial staff.

Hotel manager Carrol Wong said Labuan, being an international financial centre and oil and gas hub, is attracting local and foreign visitors.

"The certification will reassure Muslims in particular, to choose to eat in the hotel.

"It is essential to follow innovative approaches when it comes to being a leader in the competitive environment of the tourism economy. With this certification, we are also expanding our sales efforts to new markets," she told a press conference here today.

Tiara Hotel Labuan strictly adhered to the procedures and policies of Jakim for six months before the award of the halal certification.

Although Labuan is renowned for its ethnic and culinary diversity, the number of halal-certified restaurants and dining places on the island remains limited.

There have been calls from the Muslim community for eateries on the island to be awarded the halal certification.