KUCHING, Oct 28 — The removal of subsidy for cooking oil from next month should not be viewed entirely negatively.
Sarawak Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian and celebrity chef Datuk Redzuwan Ismail or Chef Wan today both agreed the government’s move would generally be good for health.
They were met by the media after witnessing an attempt by the Plaza Merdeka shopping centre here to come up with the biggest bowl of Sarawak Laksa to be recorded into the Malaysia Book of Record.
Dr Sim, one of the state’s top cardiologists before entering politics, said this would be an opportunity for them to “shop healthily, cook healthily and eat healthily.” He suggested that people should go for alternative styles of cooking like steaming, baking or grilling which reduced oil usage.
On the Laksa Sarawak, he said more local food could also be promoted outside the state and that this could be done if the cooks were innovative enough.
Meanwhile Chef Wan said the people should reduce eating fried food and should instead eat more vegetables and fruits besides doing regular exercises.
On Laksa Sarawak, he said it was among his favourite dishes and which was among those that he would promote in overseas cooking demonstrations.
Malaysia Book of Records deputy general manager Mohd Alex Edward Abdullah later confirmed the successful attempt by the Plaza Merdeka.
Fifteen cooks took 18 hours to prepare 100 kilograms of (Laksa Sarawak) paste, 225 kilograms of bee hoon or rice vermicelli, 90 kilograms of river prawn, 1008 eggs, 90 kilograms of bean sprouts and 80 kilograms of shredded chicken meat to fill a bowl measuring 3.2 metres at its rim, 1.3 metres at its base and with a depth of 1.3 metres for the latest entry. — Bernama
