A health think tank has urged the government to broaden the scope of the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme by including fruits and vegetables to improve the people’s dietary habits.
Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Khalib said non-communicable diseases are on the rise, particularly diabetes, which increased from 11.6% of the population in 2006 to 18.3% in 2019.
He also noted that 50.1% of Malaysian adults were reported to be overweight or obese.
Azrul said that if the government wants Malaysians to be healthier, the SARA programme must incorporate fruits and vegetables.
He said the RM100 one-off cash aid under the initiative could be used to “incentivise” people to eat healthier.
“Even though some people may have already used their SARA cash aid, others still have until the end of the year.
“The government should improve the programme immediately because half of the fruits and vegetables are not included — yet instant noodles are,” he told FMT after the Suku Suku Separuh forum at Papan Haus here today.
“Suku Suku Separuh” is a dietary model recommended by the health ministry, encouraging people to fill their plates with one-quarter protein, one-quarter carbohydrates, and half with fruits and vegetables.
For National Day this year, the government announced a RM100 cash aid for all citizens aged 18 and above under the SARA programme, benefitting 22 million people.
Among the 14 categories of products covered are rice, eggs, bread, beverages, seasoning, canned food, personal hygiene products, medications approved by the health ministry, school supplies, and household cleaning products.
