BINTULU, June 16 — Dewan Negara Speaker Tan Sri Rais Yatim has been chided for his claim that the word ‘bak’ in bak kut teh refers to pork.

Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said Rais’ statement reflected an outdated and narrow perspective on the popular dish.

"I only encourage everyone to see bak kut teh as one of Malaysia’s diverse and open traditional dishes, which should be viewed from a comprehensive perspective before making any inappropriate interpretations,” he said in a press statement.

Tiong also pointed out that the word ‘bak’ itself only refers to meat in general without any other controversial meanings.

The Bintulu MP said there should be no disputes or speculations that could lead to conflicts regarding bak kut teh because it is one of Malaysia’s famous dishes.

"Let us look at it from a comprehensive perspective of our country’s culinary heritage, rather than interpreting it from a racial or religious point of view by questioning its halal status,” he said.

Tiong clarified that as he stated during an event at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) on June 13, bak kut teh’s soup is made of medicinal herbs, and that should be the focus, not the protein chosen to accompany it.

While he agreed that pork bones and meat are popularly used, there are now many versions of the dish.

"The culinary culture today has evolved bak kut teh into a dish that can be cooked in various variations and ingredients suitable for the taste of the multicultural society in this country,” he emphasised.

He said other meat such as lamb, chicken, seafood, and even vegetables, are used according to preference.

"Therefore, my standpoint is clear that we should dignify every food synonymous with any community or ethnic group, including categorising it as a national dish or heritage food, because this diversity reflects the true identity of Malaysia,” he added.

Yesterday, Rais questioned in a Facebook post what the Department of National Heritage was doing, asking if the department was keeping silent or if it dared to advise Tiong not to be hasty in categorising bak kut teh as a national heritage dish.

Malay Mail reported that Rais cited unnamed language advisers saying that ‘bak’ meant pork, ‘kut’ meant bone, and ‘teh’ meant special herbal soup. — Borneo Post