Starting from Oct 1, all food and beverages containing sugar will be removed from the list of items eligible for discounts under the Madani Rahmah Sale programme.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Deputy Minister Fuziah Salleh said this was to support the Health Ministry’s “War on Sugar”.
“We will remove items containing sugar from the Rahmah Sale list… No more discounts,” she said, adding that previously, the discounts ranged from 10 to 30 percent for items such as sweetened condensed milk.
She was speaking to reporters after launching the “Jom Kosong” initiative in Kuala Lumpur today.
Fuziah said her ministry has also requested the Health Ministry to categorise food items according to their sugar content levels, to raise consumer awareness in line with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s intention to reduce the public’s sugar consumption for better health.
On Sunday, Anwar reminded Malaysians to take care of their health, especially regarding sugar consumption, due to the high number of diabetes cases in Malaysia, which is the highest in Southeast Asia.
The Jom Kosong initiative encourages consumers to choose sugar-free beverages in collaboration with local food industry players.
“The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry will also collaborate with restaurant associations such as the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma), the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association Malaysia (Primas), the Sahabat Tom Yam Prihatin SeMalaysia, and Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors’ General Association (MSCSPGA),: she said.
She noted that negotiations are underway with food and beverage operators to sell sugar-free beverages at lower prices, with most of them giving positive feedback.
- Bernama
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