Halal Scheme and Certificate Holder: Who Actually Needs to Apply?
A map of certificate holders for central kitchens, outlets, shared-kitchen operators and digital brands.
Last reviewed 5 November 2026
1. The SPHM attaches to the certified scope
The Sijil Pengesahan Halal Malaysia (SPHM, the Malaysia Halal Certificate) relates to the certificate holder, the address, the scheme, the products or menu and the activities that were approved. It is not a “general halal licence” for all tenants, all brands and all menus at an address.
The main principle of the MPPHM (Manual Prosedur Pensijilan Halal Malaysia, the Malaysia Halal Certification Procedure Manual) 2020 (2026 Amendment): a food premises that has a central kitchen must first hold an SPHM under the Skim Produk Makanan dan Minuman (Food and Beverage Product scheme). For chain premises, applications for each chain of premises are handled centrally. The kitchen and the outlets need to be assessed as separate scopes.
2. A matrix of five operating models
| Arrangement | Applicant/holder to be assessed | Is the kitchen's certificate enough? |
|---|---|---|
| One company's central kitchen → several outlets | The central kitchen company; the entities/outlets in the chain | No, the outlets have their own scope |
| One entity's kitchen → one delivery brand | The food operator at that address | Cannot be decided from the cloud kitchen label alone |
| Shared kitchen → tenants from different companies | Each operator and the facility owner, according to the actual arrangement | Not automatic, even if the facility owner holds an SPHM |
| Group of companies → several brands | The entity that holds the operation, and the related brands/menus | Only the activities/products/menus within the approved scope |
| Central kitchen makes products for other operators | The manufacturer, the brand owner and the OEM relationship if relevant | Need to check the relevant product scheme and/or OEM |
Reminder: The table is a ManaHalal scoping tool, not a final ruling on certification for every contract structure. Ask JAKIM/JAIN (Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri, the state Islamic religious department) for a specific answer for tenant and shared kitchen cases.
3. Scope and certificate flow
For a shared kitchen with different companies, do not draw an automatic arrow from the building management's certificate straight to every tenant's products.
4. Five scope controls that are often missed
- Entity name: the company name on SSM, PBT (local authority), invoices and the application must be consistent, or the legal relationship must be explained.
- Address: another rented kitchen, a new kiosk or a warehouse at a different address is not necessarily included.
- Menu and SKU: the types of dish/product must be matched to the declared list.
- Outside processing: moving work to a third party or OEM must not be done without checking the impact on the scope.
- Logo and communication: you must not advertise all brands as “JAKIM certified” based on one entity's or one location's certificate that does not cover them.
5. The official question to send
Use this format:
We operate [SSM entity name] at [address]. At the premises there are [number] kitchen spaces, [number] operators and [number] brands. Products are cooked at [address] and sold through [channel]. Please confirm the scheme, the applicant, the premises scope, the menu/product scope and whether separate applications are needed.
Attach the floor plan, the rental agreement, the operator matrix, and the menu and food processes. Keep the reply as evidence of your compliance design decisions.
Official reference: MPPHM 2020 (2026 Amendment), clause 18(4) on food premises and central kitchens; MYeHALAL.