The removal of subsidy for cooking oil from next month should not be viewed entirely negatively.

Sarawak Local Government Minister Dr Sim Kui Hian and celebrity chef 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 in Kuching 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 100kg of (Laksa Sarawak) paste, 225kg of bee hoon or rice vermicelli, 90kg of river prawns, 1,008 eggs, 90kg of bean sprouts and 80kg of shredded chicken meat to fill a bowl measuring 3.2m at its rim, 1.3m at its base and with a depth of 1.3m for the latest entry.

- Bernama