Ng: Debate good for yee sang

KUALA LUMPUR: The debate between Malaysia and Singapore over the ownership of the traditional Chinese New Year must-have dish yee sang will only help enhance its popularity, said Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

The Tourism Minister pointed out that yee sang had been consumed in Malaysia for a long time. “The debate will allow more people to know about yee sang, which will help promote the dish. That is good. It's free publicity.

“I hope more tourists will come to know about the dish,” she said after hosting her ministry's Chinese New Year open house here yesterday. She was responding to reports that Singapore academic Prof Tan Wee Cheng wanted to lay claim to yee sang by having it listed among Singapore's intangible cultural heritage.

Asked if the ministry would promote the dish, she said it did so for all Malaysian foods. “For me, what is most important is that the lo sang (tossing of yee sang) culture continues to flourish. “After all, we are neighbours. I don't think it will cause any negative impact,” she said. Dr Ng also said it would not be easy to include a particular food item into Unesco's list because research must first be carried out to locate its source.

-thestar online.