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KUCHING, June 10: Malaysian Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) has expressed support for ‘bak kut teh’ (pork rib dish cooked in broth) to be recognised as a national heritage food.
Its Minister Dato Seri Tiong King Sing said ‘bak kut teh’ should be viewed in terms of its content and the way it is prepared, not from the aspect of race and religion to create fear against the dish.
“On the ministry’s part, we take this issue seriously and will continue to strive to include ‘bak kut teh’ as a national heritage food.
“I hope this issue is not politicised anymore. Religious and racial sensitivities are not tools to be politicised because they can lead to racial divisions,” he said in a Facebook post today.
He also clarified that the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan when responding to Opposition MPs in the Dewan Rakyat on June 7, did not intend to offend ‘bak kut teh’ makers and lovers but only to give his opinion on how the dish can be varied so that it can widen its market sales.
“There is no authentic fact stating that ‘bak kut teh’ originates from the Klang area because it has become a delicacy that is loved all over the world.
“Although pork is the main ingredient in making ‘bak kut teh’ but with the advancement of technology and population growth, the dish’s halal version based on chicken and seafood has been introduced.
“It cannot be separated from its basic ingredient which is an expensive herbal soup. However, the basic material can be replaced with other materials. As an example, Hokkien mee which contains pork fat can be changed to chicken fat so that more people can enjoy the dish,” he added.
During the Dewan Rakyat session, Tebrau MP Jimmy Puah has urged the government to consider making ‘bak kut teh’ a national heritage food after watching a documentary on Channel News Asia which has claimed that the dish could have originated in Singapore.
Meanwhile, Langkawi MP Datuk Suhaimi Mohd Abdullah asked if the government plans to include the dish in the list of Malaysian heritage food items.
Following this, Khairul said that any dish to be listed as a Malaysian heritage food must be able to be eaten by all ethnic groups in the country, stating that the dish could be recognised if it is in the form of chicken meat. — DayakDaily
