Factors Contribute to Awareness on Halal Logistics among Muslim Consumers

Vol. 13, No. 6, 2023, Pg. 896 – 907


Introduction
Halal logistics could be defined as the implementation of Halalan toyyiban principles at all stages of the supply chain, including procurement, warehousing, transportation, processing, and distribution, in accordance with the requirements of Islamic law. This means that Halal products must not be mixed with non-Halal products at any point in the logistics process if they are to keep their Halal status. In addition, the idea of applying syariah principles to supply chain management process is known as halal toyyiban supply chain. From the point of sourcing to the point of consumption, the Halalan toyyiban concept will be used along the entire supply chain. Every aspect of Halal must be thoroughly considered to ensure that ultimate consumers will receive Halal products. Implementing the Halal logistics idea makes it clear that the government, consumers, and business participants will face a few challenges to comply with the Halal requirement, regulations, and standards.
The increasing demand for Halal logistics products are increasing as Muslim consumers become more aware and concern on their religious duties. Muslim consumers are paying more attention to the kinds of goods and services they consume or use as they become more informed and aware of dietary restrictions and concerns related to religion (Salleh, 2012). Muslim customers are aware of the significance of using halal items for both their daily lives and their eternal selves. In addition, a few logistic businesses are aware of their responsibility for preserving the Halal integrity by obtaining certification from JAKIM or other recognized organizations to operate as Halal shipping service providers or Halal logistics services provider.
If Malaysia is to become a well-known global hub for Halal trade, Halal certification for logistics services needs to be prioritized and promoted. The use of various forms of road transportation, such as trucks, lorries, and vans, is one of the key elements of these Halal logistics services. There is a possibility that Halal commodities delivered via any means of transportation could become non-Halal during the journey. Halal products must be always kept separate from non-Halal products. This is done to prevent cross-contamination and to guarantee that business practices are in line with those of the consumer and other stakeholders. From a Syariah perspective, cross contamination refers to the condition of being contaminated by a contaminant or precursor that affects the Halal status of a product. Contaminants are any harmful (mudhorat) or non-Halal (non-Halal) substances that are purposefully or mistakenly introduced to a Halal product and cause it to become non-Halal. Halal therefore has unique consequences for the handling, storage, and transportation of Halal products. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to ascertain the degree of Muslim exposure to, religious belief in, and knowledge of Halal logistics.
The transporter is aware of the Halal process delivery through Halal logistics, and to assure that the Halal product is Halal throughout the journey while maintaining, the Halal integrity among the supply chain partners. This will require a proper segregation the Halal products by using an appropriate logistics strategy throughout the logistics process. Therefore, a study needs to be conducted to determine the degree of Muslim awareness and understanding regarding Halal logistics services operation. This study can serve as a starting point for developing methods to increase the Muslims level of awareness on Halal logistics. Henceforth, the objective of the study is to measure the level of awareness on Halal logistics among Muslims in Johor Bahru, Malaysia district. The aim of the study also is to identify the factors that contribute to awareness toward Halal logistics among Muslims in Johor Bahru district.

Literature Review
Halal refers to what is permitted or legal in accordance with Islamic law. In contrast, "consciousness" is defined as "knowledge or understanding of a particular subject or circumstance" (Randolph, 2003). In the context of Halal, the word "awareness" refers to having a particular interest in or experience with something as well as being knowledgeable about current events pertaining to Halal meals, beverages, and products. As a result, awareness refers to a person's perception of and cognitive response to the state of the food, drink, and other substances they use. A person may be keenly aware, somewhat aware, subconsciously aware, or both of a difficulty relating to a Halal component of what Allah permits. It may be concentrated on a sensory perception of an external event or situation, or on an internal condition, such as a visceral emotion. The basis for creating arbitrary theories about one's personal reactions to things is awareness (Nizam, 2006). Therefore, being aware of something is a fundamental aspect of self-consumption for any product and services. In addition, the self-awareness of the individual is the priority. Simultaneously, awareness refers to the process of increasing people's knowledge of the dangers associated with anything that could endanger human life and what they can do to reduce their exposure. Therefore, in the context of Halal logistics, awareness is the process of gaining a better understanding of what Muslims are permitted to consume in terms of food, drink, and services.

Halal Logistics
The physical tasks of storing and transporting are included in halal logistics, which apply the shariah concept and give a collection of data for management and communication between upstream and downstream linkages along the food supply chain (Kamaruddin et al., 2012). On the other hand, separating Halal cargo from non-Halal cargo is the fundamental tenet of Halal logistics. This is done to ensure that the entire supply chain remains Halal, minimize cross-contamination, and better meet the needs of Muslim consumers. (Ministry of Industrial and Trade, 2006). As a result, the word "Halal logistics" refers to the process of applying shariah law to logistics.
Studies from Jaafar (2011); Talib et al (2013) reveal that many of the logistics companies start to explore and invest more in halal service in their operations, such as procurement, storage and warehousing, transportation and delivery that specializes in halal products. The main objective of Halal Logistics is to ensure the Halal Integrity of Halal products for the endconsumer. Halal Logistics can be defined as: "The Command & Control of goods flows in a value system in such a way that the Halal integrity is secured throughout the supply chain. (MITRANS, 2012). Furthermore, halal logistics is the act of distributing hall goods across the halal supply chain. To prevent contamination during distribution, core logistics activities, such as transportation, warehousing, material handling and procurement, must be shariah compliant based (Zailani et al., 2017). The study found logistics service innovations in halal logistics, which have taken into consideration several factors such as comprehensive hygiene practices, quality, and safety and thus, crucial to the non-Muslim customers (Jaafar et al.,

Religious Belief
Collectively, the people's interpretation and response to what they consider to be supernatural and sacred is done through their religion, which is a set of beliefs and behaviors (Johnstone, 1975). Most religions encourage or forbid specific behaviors, including consuming. Islam makes it very clear that whereas non-Halal products are prohibited for consumption by humans, Halal foods, beverages, and goods are permitted. According to Schiffman and Kanuk (1997), the religious identity, orientation, knowledge, and belief of members of various religious groups affects their purchase decisions. It demonstrates that awareness of consumption behaviors can come from sources such as religion and belief. One of the key determinants of dietary avoidance, taboos, and particular regulations about meat is religious knowledge or belief (Simons, 1994). The best way to decide what to eat is to use your religious beliefs or knowledge because different religions have different food taboos. For example, pig and meat that has not been ritually slain are forbidden in Judaism and Islam, while pork and beef are forbidden in Buddhism and Hinduism. Even though some religions have rigorous dietary restrictions, a sizable number of individuals generally adhere to them. Hussaini (1993), for instance, noted that 75% of Muslim immigrants to the US adhere to their Islamic dietary requirements. It demonstrates that Muslims are still aware of Halal because of their religious knowledge and belief, regardless of where they choose to live. Both the Quran and the Sunnah highlight the importance of awareness to guide Muslims toward morally acceptable behaviors, lending credence to this interpretation. The instructions of the Quran establish what is halal and what is haram, and believers are required to accept them as such (Hussaini, 1993).
Awareness of the lawful and prohibited objects has been given explicit and suitable treatment in Islam, as evidenced by the Hadith, "The Halal is that which Allah has made lawful in His book and the Haram is that which He has banned and that which He is silent regarding, He has provided as a benefit to you." (Ibn Majah,No 3367). From this Hadith, it may be inferred that people can know what is permissible or prohibited for consumption when they consult the Al-Quran and Hadith because both sources provided explicit instructions regarding what is permissible for Muslims to consume. The problem, nevertheless, came from manufactured goods that had secret information. In several Islamic nations, like Malaysia, Muslim policymakers and certification organizations have addressed this issue through labelling or certification as additional sources of information on Halal products.

Exposure
According to Patnoad (2001), educational exposure is one of the finest ways to educate people about the sorts of food they eat in the context of safety and hygienic settings, which is the fundamental goal of Halal. By educating them, we can help people make informed decisions about their daily diet. Delivering resources and education on food safety to a variety of target audiences is therefore the primary duty of the government or agency in charge of Halal. Consumers, school-aged children, and workers in the food business all need to get food safety education. Through education and learning, consumers in Malaysia and other Muslim nations can be exposed to the Halal to raise the degree of their awareness. In this current era of technology innovation, the government may inform the public about Halal through a variety of channels. Daily newspapers, television, radio, the internet, and any other form of media can all be used to educate people. All of these could be quite important in disseminating information about Halal alerts and exposure.
As a result, teaching exposure can act as a source of information about Halal in relation to what Muslims eat. Businesses must be aware of technological advances through media coverage since they will impact how they conduct their operations (Mohamed et al., 2010). The use of information technology is growing in popularity in Halal logistics, and LSP should seize this chance, claim (Mazlan, 2005;Tieman, 2010). In addition, the deployment of IT will improve the integrity of Halal products or services throughout the supply chain because it enables tracking and tracing services (Zailani et al., 2010;Tan et al., 2012a). Furthermore, Talib (2014) concurred that the use of IT in logistics provides for improved Halal integrity and increases performance efficiency due to the complexity of logistical tasks. A greater level of transparency and control is provided by IT in Halal logistics, according to (Tieman, 2010). Tan et al (2012) suggest that government support is essential to lowering adoption barriers and promoting IT in Halal logistics to reap the full benefits of this technology.

Halal Certification
The idea of Halal certification is crucial to consumption in a country with a majority-Muslim population, like Malaysia. Muslim customers today have access to a wide range of goods and services, which is debatable. To inform and reassure their target customers that their products are Halal and Shariah-compliant, manufacturers and marketers have been indirectly compelled to utilize the Halal certification. According to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) the Halal certification is voluntary; however, it is promoted for product and service producers, manufacturers, distributors, traders, food premises, and abattoirs. Less than 30% of the 5400 certified halal businesses listed in the HDC are owned and operated by Bumiputera people. This evidence suggests that non-Bumiputera are more likely to make the necessary financial, time, and effort investments to obtain the halal certification. They are aware of the underlying significance of Malaysia's halal certification in winning over the billions of Muslim consumers worldwide. Unfortunately, many Bumiputera business owners, who mostly come from SMEs, are unwilling to put out the same effort.
The Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) in Malaysia, which falls under the purview of the Ministry of the Prime Minister's Department, issues the genuine Halal certification that Muslims in Malaysia generally look for. Muslims are now more aware of the value of consuming manufactured goods or using services that adhere to Islamic laws and principles because of the establishment of the Halal emblem and certification by (JAKIM). Muslims in Malaysia consume foods, beverages, and manufactured goods by seeking for the Halal mark, which is approved by a government organization. Because the meals and beverages may be trusted in terms of being Halal, safe, and hygienic, the Halal mark itself is seen as a significant source or factor. As a result, the Halal label serves as a signal for which restaurants the nation's Muslims may patronize. In terms of nutrition and health, labelling is crucial as a source of information regarding safe and hygienic foods and beverages.

Figure 2.5 Theoretical Framework
Based on Figure 2.5, there are three factors that contribute to the awareness towards Halal logistics which are Religion Belief, Exposure and Halal Certificate. The dependent variables in this study stated in the theoretical framework in Awareness towards Halal Logistics practices among Muslim in Johor Bahru state.

Research Methodolody Population and Sample
The targets population refers to the group of individuals targeted by the researcher to collect data to achieve the research objective of this study (Sekaran & Bougie, 2016). The main objectives of this research are to identify the factors that contribute to the awareness toward Halal logistics among Muslims. Therefore, the target population of the research is peoples in Johor Bahru district. Since the total population in Johor Bahru district are very huge, the survey will not involve all peoples and will be focus on Muslims people only which is majority from UTM Johor Bahru.
Sample size refer to the group of people selected from the population that have been drawn so that the researcher can collect the information and perform the examiner based on the answers provided by the size of the survey (Mei, 2019). According to Ahmad et al (2019) the minimum sample size that determined by the rules is 30 and the maximum are 500 which it is appropriate for most research. The sample size for this study were targeted 110.

Quantitative Analysis Method
Data collected from primary source of the questionnaire will be analysed using quantitative methods. The use of SPSS software to analyse the data that has been collected is intended to facilitate data analysis because it involves a large amount of data. SPSS also gives accurate decisions and can be implemented immediately. The use of SPSS can provide a mean value which can identify the dominant factors that contribute to the awareness towards Halal logistics. In addition, with the use of SPSS also can provide the significant value for the factor where it can determine the factors that are have relationship between level of awareness and the factors that contribute to the awareness towards Halal logistics.

Findings Sample Profile
The questionnaire that develops in google form format had been distributing to target respondent who are Muslims in Johor Bahru. There are 110 respondents are committed in answers the questionnaire which are received completed by researcher. The 110 data collected after pilot test were recorded and analysed by using SPSS software.  Based on the table 4.1, the study found that the Awareness towards Halal logistics is at a high level with the total average mean value which is 4.17. Besides that, in this research, most respondent were chosen "Important" to the question in Awareness towards Halal logistics variables. This can be proven with the mode score in Awareness towards Halal logistics is 4.  Table 4.2 shown the result of analysis that shown overall mean score for each factor that contribute to the awareness towards Halal logistics among Muslims. The results of the analysis showed that the respondents had a high level of awareness of the religious belief factor when recording an overall mean score of 4.75. From religious belief, it shows that many respondents are aware that religious belief is the important factor in Halal logistics. Besides that, in this research, most of the respondents were "Strongly Agreed" to the questions in Religious Belief variables. This can be proved with the mode score in Religious Belief is 5.

To identify the factors that contribute to the awareness towards Halal logistics among Muslims
Then, the result for exposure shown that the level of awareness of exposure factor is high and it is indicated by the overall mean score 4.53. The findings of the study showed that respondents are strongly agree that the Halal logistics is widely expose. Furthermore, in this study, most respondents "Strongly Agreed" to the questions in the Exposure variables. This is shown by the fact that the mode score of Exposure is 5 Finally, the analysis revealed that respondents had a high degree of awareness of the Halal certificate factor, with the overall mean score of 4.29. It shown that most respondents acknowledged that they need Halal certificate to operate in Halal logistics. Other than that, in this research, most of the respondents were "Strongly Agreed" to the questions in Halal Certificate variables. This can be proved with the value of mode score mostly are 5 in Halal Certificate.
Based on 4.2, the result of the study showed that all factors have high level which all are fall in the range from 4.29 to 4.75. The factor of Religious Belief has the highest mean score value which is 4.75 compared to the other two factors, Exposure and Halal Certificate. This indicates that the factor, Religious Belief is the dominant factor in this study when it can be evidenced by the overall value of the highest mean score of 4.75. Meanwhile, the Exposure and Halal Certificate factors got an overall mean score of 4.53 and 4.29, respectively.

Multiple Regression
To determine the relationship between the level of the awareness and the factors contribute to the awareness towards Halal logistics among Muslims.

Discussion on Level of Awareness on Halal Logistics among Muslims
Based on the data analysis, the overall results showed that respondents had a high level of awareness on Halal logistics when Awareness towards Halal Logistics recorded a high mean overall score of 4.17. The high level of awareness among respondents are proven when they aware about the Halal logistics and logistics activities based on Shariah compliance was the main understanding of Halal logistics.

Discussion on the Dominant Factor that Contribute to the Awareness towards Halal Logistics
As refers to the findings on data analysis, the findings from descriptive analysis reveals that factor of religious belief have high level score than exposure and Halal certificate factors. This finding is also parallel with the research done by Omar, et al. (2019), which factor of religious belief are scored high. In research by Omar, et al. (2019), it stated religious belief factor is score higher than exposure and Halal certificate factors. The dominant factor is proven when they strongly agreed that religious belief factor most contribute to the awareness of Halal logistics. It shows that, Muslims wherever are still aware of Halal logistics due to their religious knowledge and belief.

Discussion on Factors that have relationship between the Level of Awareness and the Factor that Contribute to the Awareness towards Halal Logistics
The result shows in the data analysis that religious belief leads the list as the highest standardized beta coefficient value. Religious belief is the most important factor that contributes to awareness towards Halal logistics with (β=.275, t-value=3.514) and have small significant value than alpha value, 0.000, signifying that respondents are committed with Islam or religious belief. Further investigation on this study divulged Exposure (β=.078, t-value=1.267) and Halal certificates (β=.-.035, t-value=-.372). are not the contributors to awareness towards Halal logistics. Therefore, there is a strong positive significant between religious belief and awareness towards Halal logistics. However, there is a weak positive significant correlation between Awareness towards Halal logistics and Halal certificate.

Recommendation and Conclusion Recommendations
Several recommendations offered as recommendations for additional research with the intention of expanding the study of the awareness towards Halal logistics. It is recommended to analyse the effects of religious belief and exposure on awareness towards Halal logistics among the potential consumers who already have a strong intention for the necessity of a Halal logistics system. In addition, it suggested conducting research into the awareness of Halal logistics on religious beliefs and the extent of their exposure in different states. Additionally, it is recommended that a comparison be made between generation X and generation Y regarding their awareness of Halal logistics in relation to their religious beliefs and their level of exposure to the younger generation. As a result of this, it is recommended that appropriate methods for the Halal logistics need to be designed for usage by the Halal product and services.

Conclusion
The purpose of this research was to identify the factors that contribute to awareness of Halal logistics among Muslims in the Johor Bahru District. According to the findings of the research that was carried out, it is possible to draw the conclusion that all the variables share a significance with one another, even though there is a wide range of variance and a different level of influential percentage between the independent variables and the dependent variables. However, in conclusion, it can be stated that each of the three influencing factors play significant roles in each of the variables inside the dependent variables or outcomes of awareness toward Halal logistics.
Following closely behind in terms of significant on awareness towards Halal Logistics is exposure and Halal certificate. Overall, Religious Belief has the most significant on Awareness towards Halal Logistics. The Halal Certificate has the least amount of influence when it comes to Awareness of Halal logistics.
This study aims to contribute to the existing body of literature on both a theoretical and practical level, and it also offers several recommendations for areas in which additional research could go in the future. The findings of this study will aid policymakers, practitioners, planners, and the government in making changes, if necessary, in strategies, rules, and processes, and in improving the provision of user satisfaction in Halal logistics systems.
The findings have provided some information as well as input in terms of the formulation of business approaches that will be used in the future to provide Muslims in Malaysia with a halal logistic system. It is strongly recommended that companies in the logistics industry who wish to maintain their position in the market as well as expand into new areas provide halal logistics services to users.