Healthy Eating Must Not Become A Privilege

The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy acknowledges the recent statements by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) regarding the Suku-Suku Separuh healthy plate model. The MOH has warned that Suku-Suku Separuh risks becoming a privilege for the few if affordability is not addressed.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu has stated that the affordability of Suku-Suku Separuh is a nutrition and public health strategy, not primarily due to local food supply issues.

The Suku-Suku Separuh model remains a sound and necessary guide in the fight against malnutrition, obesity, and non-communicable diseases. However, based on evidence, its promise will go unfulfilled unless affordability and access are addressed directly.

The government’s recognition of the problem is certainly welcome and necessary. The following policy recommendations and actions for the government’s consideration to ensure Suku-Suku Separuh becomes a realistic option for all Malaysians, and not just the better-off.

• Expand Sara to include fruits and vegetables: Modify Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) so that its eligible items include fresh produce (fruits and vegetables). It currently does not. Targeted vouchers or subsidies for lower-income households for fresh produce / protein sources could also be considered.
• Adapt and monitor regional differences in Suku-Suku Separuh: Recognise that cost burdens vary significantly across states. Policies should allow regional adaptations and visualisations of the Suku-Suku Separuh model (in terms of food types and portion sizes) so that dietary recommendations are culturally and geographically appropriate, without compromising nutrition. Establish transparent benchmarks for the cost of a “standard Suku-Suku Separuh meal” in every state, including breakdown by food group, so the public can see where prices are high and why.
• Improve and expand Menu Rahmah: Enhance Menu Rahmah so that the meals offered conform more closely to Suku-Suku Separuh guidelines (include fruits, vegetables, correct portions), not just minimal protein and carbohydrates.
• Strengthen supply chain and production efficiencies: Increase investment in local agriculture through support for smallholder farmers, prioritising strategies to reduce the costs of fertilisers, feed, seeds, and subsidise logistics for remote areas.
• Whole-of-Government collaboration: The MOH, KPKM, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), Ministry of Finance (MOF), and other agencies need to coordinate food security, agricultural, trade, subsidies, public health, and social welfare policies. Trade policies, import tariffs, subsidies, and regulations should help rather than hinder affordable access to nutritious food. It should not be treated as simply MOH’s problem to solve.

Awareness raising is important but must be coupled with enabling conditions such as financial incentives, infrastructure. so that people can act on that knowledge.

Cooking at home, buying seasonal produce, reducing waste are useful strategies, but only practical when fresh produce is accessible and costs are manageable.

The MOH’s acknowledgement that affordability is a major barrier and the risk that healthy eating becomes a privilege is welcome. This acknowledgement aligns with the recent Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) survey that the majority of households find Suku-Suku Separuh diets financially burdensome and possibly unaffordable.

Simply raising awareness or promoting the model will not suffice without measures to make it feasible for all segments, especially B40 and households in high-cost states.

While the healthy eating strategy is crucial, the claim that affordability is not linked to local food supply or production costs appears to overlook data and ground realities.

Rising costs of agricultural necessities such as seeds, fertilisers, feed, reliance on imports, post-harvest losses, logistics costs, and market inefficiencies all feed into the retail prices of fruits, vegetables, and proteins.

If supply chain constraints and input cost pressures are not addressed, food, especially nutritious food will remain expensive. We need to address this urgently.

Azrul Mohd Khalib is the chief executive of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy.

• This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.