PETALING JAYA: Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing has called out Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim for his “outdated” and “narrow-minded” views on a proposal to recognise bak kut teh as a heritage food.
Tiong said he was only encouraging people to consider bak kut teh and various other Malaysian dishes in an open-minded way.
“Why do we need to argue about a dish that has Malaysian origins?
“Can’t we take a holistic view on our heritage foods instead of from a racial or religious aspect, whether it is halal or otherwise?” he said in a Facebook post.
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The former culture, arts and heritage minister said Putrajaya must ensure that declaring such a dish a national heritage would not spark a religious or cultural controversy.
Rais also said the national heritage department should advise Tiong, who recently released a statement that his ministry would consider the matter, on this.
Tiong, however, said the dish was a combination of herbs and meat, and the type of meat used was entirely up to those preparing it.
He also said making bak kut teh a national heritage food was not an issue, especially since it would highlight local menus to foreigners.
Tebrau MP Jimmy Puah had earlier this month urged the government to consider recognising the dish as a heritage food after a documentary claimed it originated from Singapore.
Tiong today said he stood firm on his position that foods associated with all ethnic groups should be respected and recognised as a national or heritage dish to truly reflect Malaysia’s diversity.
He cited the example of dim sum, a renowned Chinese cuisine, and highlighted how Muslims have ventured into producing and selling halal variations of it.
“Isn’t this a positive development, especially for Muslim entrepreneurs and traders?
“Moreover, Malaysia is now recognised as one of the largest halal hubs in the world.
“Let’s refrain from making racial statements on sensitive topics just to gain minor political mileage. It only spreads hatred and threatens unity,” Tiong said.
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