KOTA BHARU: The people of Kelantan have been urged to cut down on their intake of sugar.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this was due to the state having one of the highest rates of diabetes in the country.
"I encourage everyone to cut back on sugar, as it has become a significant concern, particularly in Kelantan, Kedah and Negri Sembilan, where there is a competition over who has the highest rates of illness.
"In Kelantan, sugar is indispensable. While no one in Malaysia eats roti canai with sugar, here it’s a different story.
"I’ve also learned that the dialysis centre in Kelantan has a notably high incidence of diabetes, attributed to excessive sugar consumption," he said.
Anwar said the Federal Government has allocated RM8mil for the construction of a dialysis centre under Yayasan Sultan Kelantan Darul Naim.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the funds would be disbursed through the Kelantan Public Works Department.
The matter was also presented to the Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Muhammad V in his audience with the Ruler at the Istana Negeri in Kubang Kerian on Tuesday (Oct 1).
"With this approval, we hope to provide conducive and safe infrastructure for those in need in Kelantan,” he said in his speech at a meet and greet session with traders at the Siti Khadijah Market here on Tuesday.
"Therefore, I hope that vendors at this market (Siti Khadijah market) will reduce the sugar content in their ‘kuih’, as Malaysia has one of the highest rates of diabetes in Asia,” the Prime Minister said.
Anwar said that Malaysia competes with the Philippines for the top spot in diabetes prevalence in Asia, which is not a title to be proud of.
"We’re not winning an Oscar; we’re winning the unfortunate distinction of having the highest diabetes rates. Therefore, I hope we can start here (by reducing sugar in Kelantan). In the Prime Minister’s Department, we have managed to lower our sugar intake to just 20 per cent, or avoid it altogether,” he added.
Also present were the Prime Minister’s wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad-. Bernama
Earlier, Anwar arrived at Istana Negeri Kubang Kerian here to receive the Ahli Yang Kehormat Yang Pertama (Seri Paduka) bagi Darjah Kebesaran Mahkota Kelantan Yang Amat Mulia (SPMK) award.
The SPMK award, which carries the title Datuk, will be conferred on the Prime Minister in conjunction with the 55th birthday of the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, on Sept 29.
Later, Anwar expressed his gratitude to Sultan Muhammad for conferring the SPMK award upon him in a Facebook post.
The post included photos showing the presence of Sultanah of Kelantan Nur Diana Petra Abdullah and the Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra at the ceremony.- Bernama
