KUALA LUMPUR: In an effort to help Malaysians lead a healthier life, some Indian Muslims eateries have taken to reduce the amount of sugar in their drinks.
One such operator, Pelita Nasi Kandar, has been instructing its employees to cut down on the usage of sugar in their beverages, said director Datuk Uswath Khan.
This move will be applied at all its 26 branches nationwide.
The popular nasi kandar chain has also stopped adding sugar in Malaysians’ favourite drink, teh tarik.
“We do not use any sugar in our teh tarik. We use only a reasonable amount of condensed milk.
“While we may have reduced the amount of sugar in all drinks, we can add more if a customer requests for it,” he told the New Straits Times.
It was reported that the number of Malaysians with diabetes are on the rise with a total of 3.6 million out of a population of 32 million suffering from the non-communicable disease. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said some 1.8 million Malaysians might have diabetes but is unaware of the fact as they have never gone for a health screening.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said of the 3.6 million figure, 1.78 million are women.