Controversial or not? Malaysia lists bak kut teh as heritage food, sparking debate

On Feb 16, Malaysia gazetted 10 dishes as heritage food, including nasi ambeng, kuih karas and mi kolok. 

Out of the lot, one dish has caused quite a stir — bak kut teh. 

Malaysians have been taking to social media to share their thoughts on the Chinese pork rib dish being on the list.

One especially livid individual is the United Malays National Organisation's youth leader, Muhammad Akmal Saleh.

In fact, in a Facebook post on Thursday (Feb 29), Akmal accused Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Tiong King Sing of not considering "the sensitivity of the Malaysian people" and has even called for the minister to be fired.

He added that it were better to acknowledge other cultural dishes that can be eaten by all citizens of Malaysia, regardless of race or religion. For instance, Chinese fried rice.

In the comments of the post, several users agreed with him. 

One said that it sounded like the minister "forgot that he lives in Malaysia", while another remarked that even school kids know better. 

Some netizens have expressed their unhappiness on other platforms too. 

On X, formerly known as Twitter, one user called it a "controversial choice" and said that bak kut teh shouldn't be considered a national food choice if half the population can't consume it. 

However, others have come to the defence of this move.

One user said they were "shocked" that some think that bak kut teh can only consist of pork, stating that "bak generally means 'meat' in Hokkien". 

Others have said that as the dish was created in Malaysia, it definitely should be part of the country's heritage. 

Another added that bak kut teh is well loved by tourists overseas, and many even come to the country to try it. 

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melissateo@asiaone.com