KUCHING: Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir remained tight-lipped on Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh and Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing’s issue regarding ‘bak kut teh’ being recognised as a national heritage dish.
“I have no comment on this; I am here on my work trip to discuss the education policy and system with the Sarawak government,” the Barisan Nasional secretary-general cum Higher Education Minister said when met by the media after visiting i-CATS University College here on today (March 5).
Earlier reports stated that Akmal had asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to dismiss Tiong, who was involved in recognising ‘bak kut teh’ as a national heritage dish.
He described Tiong’s action as “extremist” because it shows a lack of sensitivity toward the majority of the country’s Islamic population.
He also questioned the relevance of including foods that are mostly prepared with pork, thus being sensitive among Muslims, on the list of national heritage foods.
“It’s not about having nine other foods also included in the list of national heritage foods, but it’s about the relevance of including foods with pork as a basic element, which we know is very sensitive to the Islamic population, who are also the majority of the country’s population, on the list of national heritage foods.
“Do you know that the list included in the gazette is ‘bak kut teh,’ not seafood bak kut teh or chicken bak kut teh? ‘Bak’ specifically refers to pork in Hokkien.
“Indeed, ‘bak kut teh’ can be replaced with halal meat according to you, but do you know how many ‘bak kut teh’ claimed to be halal and sold in the market? The answer is almost all ‘bak kut teh’ sold are not halal and contain pork,” he said recently.
In response, Tiong reminded Akmal against adopting an oppositional or extremist stance.
“Regarding ‘bak kut teh’, ‘bak’ refers to meat. I have emphasised several times that the herbs used are halal. The type of meat used can vary.
“You can add chicken, and then it becomes ‘chicken kut teh’. If you add seafood, it becomes ‘seafood kut teh’. If you add lamb, it becomes ‘lamb kut teh’.
“Akmal often mentions ‘pork bak kut teh’. However, ‘bak’ refers to meat in general, not just pork. I suggest Akmal refer to a dictionary if unsure of its definition,” Tiong said.
