KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat today erupted after a member of parliament (MP) questioned the appropriateness of bak kut teh, a traditional pork rib soup cooked in herbs, being designated as the national dish.
This was in response to a question by Jimmy Puah Wee Tse (PH-Tebrau) on the government's efforts to elevate traditional foods of Malaysians, such as nasi lemak, bak kut teh and laksa, as national foods and prevent other countries from taking ownership of them by claiming them as their national dishes.
Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah (PN-Langkawi) then questioned whether bak kut teh should be included as it was not featured in Malaysia's 10 most popular traditional foods.
"Does the minister agree to include this food as requested by Tebrau (MP)?"
Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan said to include a dish in the heritage dish category; everyone should be able to eat it.
"I, somewhat, agree with Langkawi's point of view. If the bak kut teh is prepared with chicken, it is okay, Yang Berhormat Langkawi.
"But as for the bak kut teh brought up by Tebrau, he didn't give specifics of what kind, and I can't answer specifically either.
"The main thing here is for us to include a food as a heritage dish, it should be able to be savoured by all races in our country," he said.
Earlier, Khairul Firdaus said the ministry, via the National Heritage Department, took the initiative to publicise heritage dishes in Malaysia in accordance with the National Heritage Act 2005.
He said the publication aimed to protect and preserve heritage dishes so that they would not cease to exist.
"Until 2023, as many as 213 heritage dishes from various states and multiple races have been recognised as national heritage.
"In March 2023, the ministry sent the nomination of Malaysia's breakfast culture to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for recognition by highlighting the culture of breakfast food through the consumption of heritage dishes such as nasi lemak, roti canai and teh tarik," he said.
He said should the nomination is successful, it would elevate Malaysia's visibility on the global stage by making the country an attractive tourist destination, rich in heritage diversity.
"Given the geographical factors of nearby countries, it is not impossible that there are heritage dishes that may have similarities with ours. Therefore, a joint nomination mechanism involving other nations can be done.
"A joint listing with other countries will strengthen and promote bilateral relations between countries," he said.