Time to remove sugar from controlled items list

DURING question time in the Dewan Negara on July 25, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad rightly highlighted that sugar consumption is a fundamental problem when addressing the crisis of obesity in Malaysia.

Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy supports his proposal to raise the sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) tax to 20% of the retail price. The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019 estimated that Malaysians consume an average of 12 teaspoons of sugar per day from sugar sweetened beverages. Perhaps this tax increase will help to reduce that consumption.