Kuala lumpur: Malaysia is promoting its 'Mai Kurang' initiative, which encourages people to cut their intake of sugar, salt, and calories, as a practical approach to tackling non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at the ASEAN level. The initiative was showcased at the 17th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM) and Related Meetings here, reflecting Malaysia's efforts to turn NCD prevention into simple measures that can be adopted in people's daily lives.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Health Ministry (MOH) Disease Control Division director Dr. Noraryana Hassan said the initiative, led by the Nutrition Division, was in line with the focus of ASEAN Cluster One on lifestyle and NCDs. "Cluster One looks at lifestyle and non-communicable diseases. So Mai Kurang is one of the ways to address non-communicable diseases within ASEAN," she told Bernama at Malaysia's exhibition booth during the 17th AHMM and Related Meetings here today.
Dr. Noraryana said the initiative had also drawn interest from representatives of ASEAN member states and countries outside the bloc who visited the booth, including inquiries about its implementation methods and approach. She said Mai Kurang focuses on preparing meals containing no more than 500 kilocalories, 600 milligrams of salt, and 12.5 grams of sugar, as part of efforts to control daily intake of the three components.
The initiative is also being promoted through the 'Mai Kurang Garam Gula Kalori' recipe book published by the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM), as well as vending machines, with the first unit to be placed at an MOH facility. The vending machines will offer 70 percent of food choices based on Mai Kurang recipes, while the remaining 30 percent will comprise regular recipes.
"There will be choices, and it has been agreed that the Mai Kurang recipes will be priced lower than the regular recipes. This is one of the approaches we will implement," she said, adding that a soft launch of the machines was expected after the 17th AHMM.
Meanwhile, NCSM managing director Associate Prof Dr. M. Murallitharan said the recipe book was developed through assessments by nutrition experts, members of the public, and NCD patients to ensure it met the prescribed criteria without compromising taste. Dr. Murallitharan said the Mai Kurang programme adopted a gradual behavior-change approach while emphasizing practicality by ensuring that meals remained tasty despite reduced calorie, sugar, and salt content.
"The Ministry has adopted an approach of fostering what we call behavioral nudging," he said. According to him, the first 'Mai Kurang Garam Gula Kalori' book, published in May, contained 30 recipes and was available free of charge online, while the next edition was expected to be available before October. He said the initiative would continue with a target of producing up to about 200 menus to provide the public with more choices.
The same concept is also being introduced gradually at food festivals and catering services by encouraging food providers to offer Mai Kurang versions, thereby helping shape people's tastes and eating habits. "So, the change is from slogan to action. Gradually, we are trying to change and reshape the tastes and eating habits of Malaysians," he said.
The 17th AHMM, held in Kuala Lumpur from Sept 7 to 11, is chaired by Malaysia, with Myanmar as Vice Chair, under the theme 'Healthy ASEAN: Together Towards Equitable, Future-Ready Health Systems'.