THE widely reported call in conjunction with World Diabetes Day by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) to the government to impose a 20-30% cut in added sugar in order to battle the country’s diabetes crisis is both a long overdue clarion call as well as an attestation of government (past and current) failures.
MMA’s President has correctly pointed out there needs to be “a broader sugar tax and clearer front-of-pack nutrition labelling”, which again affirms the fact that a responsible government would have taken the bull by the horn a long time ago in caring for the citizens.
Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo’s advice that “Malaysia must immediately cut down on added sugar in food and drinks” should now serve as a final countdown call to the government.
Given the fact that ‘Malaysia now ranks 13th globally and the highest in Southeast Asia for diabetes prevalence, with 21% of Malaysians, or one in five adults, living with the disease’ (according to media reports), what prevented our past governments from enforcing checks and balances to help the country improve on its fast declining health and wellness?
The success of any government is dependent on its bandwagon of politicians holding commanding posts as well as captains of civil service employed on tax payers’ contributions.
It is no scret that sweet tooths was not our culture or tradition. Malaysians – and in particular the nearly 60% of the Malay population, consumed herbs (ulam) and bitter beans (like petai and bitter gourds) at every main meal in the bygone decades.
But greed for quick profits got into the way as we openned our doors to fast food chains that got the nation addicted to processed foods that included sweetened drinks in the package.
And local eateries saw the money in selling extra sweet drinks too.
Even school canteens saw the enormous profits in adding loads of sugar to mere coloured water.
Today every restaurant even adds sugar to the sambal stating that customers want it that way.
It is common to ask for ‘kurang manis’ as we place our must have daily doses of teh tarik or kopi-o and only to find it is served still sweet. Condensed milk adds to the cunning tactics.
Even locally manufactured biscuits screaming ‘sugar free’ or ‘less sugar’ on their packaging are sweet by other country standards.
So is it any surprise that the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023’s finding established 15.6% of adults have diabetes, with more than half overweight or obese in Malaysia.
Are we naive that poorly controlled or managed diabetes has led many in the country to also suffer from various medical, long-term conditions such as kidney failure, heart disease?
In warning that “we must immediately cut down on sugar in our food”, MMA President’s suggestion that ‘Malaysia must urgently shift towards early detection, beginning with annual health screenings for all adults from the age of 18 to prevent any serious complications’ certainly does not singularly solve the problem.
As correctly pointed out by Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo, we certainly need the government to commit to stronger public health education through schools, the workplace and the media.
Will the Madani anchored government of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that professes creating a caring culture immediately reset this long neglected (or deliberately overlooked) practice of letting sugar addiction to become a national predicament?
Meanwhile will Malaysians become more responsible, more informed and be determined to eat their way to better health?
Or are we to say that eating healthy is becoming an expensive affair which explains why every kedai runcit in the rural areas keep selling trash food for our kids?
Is it not time to reshape our food industry into becoming more responsible businesses that prioritise healthy citizenry?
J. D Lovrenciear is a Scoop reader