MELAKA: Umno Youth supports the recognition of nasi goreng Cina (Chinese fried rice) as a heritage food, says chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.
He said this dish is unique to Malaysia and can be eaten by all Malaysians, adding that bak kut teh – a traditional Chinese pork rib soup – is not appropriate to be officially recognised as a national heritage food.
"The fried rice can be consumed by everyone and not only by certain segments of society," he said when contacted on Thursday (Feb 29).
Dr Muhamad Akmal said the feelings of various communities should be taken into consideration before giving heritage food status to dishes that can't be consumed by all Malaysians.
On Feb 24, Heritage Commissioner Mohamad Muda Bahadin listed 10 dishes as national heritage foods in a government gazette and the list included bak kut teh, a herbal soup made with pork bones.
The other dishes in the list include mee kolok and nasi ambeng; traditional desserts like burasak, dodol kukus tahi minyak, kuih lapis, kuih karas and uthappam, as well as appetisers such as jeruk tuhau and katira, a drink.
These food items were gazetted as heritage dishes under subsection 49(1) of the National Heritage Act 2005.
Dr Muhamad Akmal then said that Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing should resign following controversial issues such as the inclusion of bak kut teh in Malaysia's list of heritage foods and the demotion of Tourism Malaysia's director-general, Datuk Dr Ammar Abd Ghapar.--
