Halal Pilihan Kami: Menelusuri Kesedaran dan Minat Pelajar Kolej Komuniti Sungai Petani terhadap Produk Halal

Halal, Our Choice: Exploring the Awareness and Interest of Sungai Petani Community College Students towards Halal Products

Abstract

Isu kehalalan produk makanan bukan sahaja penting dalam konteks pematuhan agama, malah turut mempengaruhi tingkah laku pengguna Muslim dalam membuat keputusan pembelian. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk menilai tahap kesedaran pelajar Kolej Komuniti Sungai Petani terhadap pensijilan halal, pengetahuan komposisi makanan, dan minat membeli produk halal. Kajian ini juga dijalankan untuk menganalisis hubungan antara pensijilan halal, kesedaran halal, dan pengetahuan komposisi makanan halal dengan minat membeli produk halal dalam kalangan pelajar. Seramai 121 orang pelajar daripada 173 telah memberikan maklum balas lengkap melalui soal selidik berstruktur yang merangkumi skala Likert lima mata. Hasil analisis deskriptif menunjukkan tahap yang tinggi bagi keempat konstruk iaitu minat membeli produk halal (min = 4.38, sisihan piawai = 1.05), kesedaran halal (min = 4.35, SP = 0.84), pengetahuan tentang komposisi makanan halal (min = 4.16, SP = 0.94), dan pensijilan halal (min = 4.07, SP = 0.83). Ujian normaliti mendapati data tidak mengikut taburan normal, maka analisis korelasi Spearman telah dijalankan. Dapatan menunjukkan terdapat hubungan positif yang signifikan antara minat membeli produk halal dengan ketiga-tiga pemboleh ubah iaitu pensijilan halal (rs = 0.606, p < 0.001), kesedaran halal (rs = 0.720, p < 0.001), dan pengetahuan tentang komposisi makanan halal (rs = 0.687, p < 0.001). Ini menunjukkan bahawa semakin tinggi tahap kesedaran dan pengetahuan pelajar terhadap aspek halal, semakin tinggi kecenderungan mereka untuk membeli produk halal. Kajian ini memberi implikasi penting kepada pihak industri dan pembuat dasar untuk meningkatkan strategi pendidikan dan komunikasi berkenaan halal bagi memperkukuh keyakinan pengguna Muslim, khususnya dalam kalangan generasi muda.

The issue of halal food products is not only important in the context of religious compliance but also influences the purchasing behaviour of Muslim consumers. This study was conducted to assess the level of awareness among students of Sungai Petani Community College regarding halal certification, knowledge of food composition, and interest in purchasing halal products. The study also aimed to analyse the relationship between halal certification, halal awareness, and knowledge of halal food composition with students’ interest in purchasing halal products. A total of 121 out of 173 students provided complete responses through a structured questionnaire employing a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive analysis revealed high mean scores for all four constructs, namely interest in purchasing halal products (mean = 4.38, standard deviation = 1.05), halal awareness (mean = 4.35, SD = 0.84), knowledge of halal food composition (mean = 4.16, SD = 0.94), and halal certification (mean = 4.07, SD = 0.83). The normality test indicated that the data were not normally distributed; hence, the Spearman correlation analysis was employed. The findings demonstrated a significant positive relationship between interest in purchasing halal products and the three variables: halal certification (rs = 0.606, p < 0.001), halal awareness (rs = 0.720, p < 0.001), and knowledge of halal food composition (rs = 0.687, p < 0.001). This indicates that the higher the students’ level of awareness and knowledge regarding halal aspects, the greater their tendency to purchase halal products. This study provides important implications for industry players and policymakers to enhance educational and communication strategies related to halal, in order to strengthen Muslim consumers’ confidence, particularly among the younger generation.