Jom Kosong: RM0.20 deducted from price if you order drinks with no sugar, over 688 mamak restaurants participating!

In an attempt to help Malaysians lead a better lifestyle, the government has kicked off a campaign “Jom Kosong”. As the campaign name suggests, the purpose of the campaign is to help Malaysians cut down their sugar intake, especially when they’re dining out.

According to local daily Kosmo!, Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh shared that a study from the health ministry revealed a Malaysian’s average sugar intake is about 26 teaspoons.

“This is alarming as the recommended intake is only 6 teaspoons”, she said.

She also added over 20% Malaysians, which roughly equates to 1 in every 5 Malaysians are diabetic. With the statistics given, Malaysia has also become the country in Southeast Asia with the highest diabetic cases.

As an effort to help curb the excessive sugar intake, the government has decided to implement the Jom Kosong campaign. Prior to this, Malaysians have been ordering sugary drinks without any additional charges. With the price reduction, albeit small, Malaysians can now have the option to lead a better lifestyle and at the same time make wiser financial decisions.

Targeting Indian-Muslim restaurants (mamak) for a start, the government believes that these eateries are exceptionally popular amongst Malaysians. With the help of Presma (Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association), the ministry is able to rope in over 688 eateries in Johor alone to support their initiative.

“In Johor alone, over 688 eateries have given us their commitment to kick start this campaign and over 14,000 restaurants have expressed their interest nationwide”, said the Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister.

In an additional effort to solidify this campaign, all products containing sugar will be immediately removed from the discounted list under the ministry’s ‘Jualan Rahmah Madani’ programme.

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