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Introduction
The Muslim population worldwide is estimated to grow to 2.2bn by 2030. The 2014-2015 State of the Global Islamic Economy Report, published by Thomson Reuters (2014), reports that the Muslim population is expected to increase at a rate of 1.5 per cent annually. Muslims increasing at a rate that is almost ten times faster than the non-Muslim population (Wilson, 2014). The Quran commands Muslims to consume halal food, to prohibit that which is haram and to avoid doubtful things (Al-Baqarah: 172). Muslim consumers want to be assured that the food they consume is a true manifestation of Islamic principles (Wilson and Liu, 2011). According to the 2014-2015 State of the Global Islamic Economy Report, the size of the global halal food industry is estimated to be worth USD 2.537bn by 2019.
Halal is a Quranic term that means permitted, allowed, lawful or legal (Wilson and Liu, 2010; Wilson, 2014). Its opposite is haram (Muhammad et al., 2009; Rosly, 2010). Halal is not only for foods, but also for other consumer products such as pharmaceutical, cosmetic ones (Ngah et al., 2014). Halal practices do not stop once the product has been manufactured, as a halal product could easily lose its halal status if it is contaminated during transport and storage prior to retailing (Pahim et al., 2012; Zailani et al., 2015). Hence, given that logistics bridges the gap between the point of production (where halal is certified) and the point of consumer purchase (where the halal product is sold), the logistics of halal products is fundamental to ensuring the integrity of halal products at the point of consumption (Tieman, 2011).
Consequently, Malaysia has assumed a leadership role in ensuring that halal integrity is intact along the halal chain as logistics is an integral element of maintaining the halal status of products during their distribution; this is in addition to the fact that the market potential for halal logistics services is obvious. However, despite the vast halal market (Soltanian et al., 2016) and the importance of halal logistic practices in preserving the halal integrity of a food product, the number of halal-certified third-party logistics service providers (LSPs) in Malaysia is still limited (Jafaar et al., 2011; Talib et...