PETALING JAYA: Starchy roti canai, rice laden with ghee, glistening mee goreng, thick chicken curry and rich side dishes with lots of gravy – these are all hallmarks of mamak restaurants, right?

       Not any more. Mamak restaurants are planning to introduce a healthy menu for Ramadan.

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       Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said that since obesity and diabetes had become major problems in Malaysia, a special healthy menu was being worked on.

       “More and more of our customers are getting increasingly concerned about a healthy diet.

       “We have had discussions with the Health Ministry and other Presma members since the end of last year and the healthy menus will be launched most probably after March,” he said.

       While Presma members are very enthusiastic about launching this new project, not everyone will be rolling out the new menu immediately after March. Ramadan is expected to begin on April 2.

       “My restaurants, as well as more than 20 members’ restaurants, will launch the menu first so other mamak restaurants can follow suit,” said Jawahar, who is group executive chairman of Restoran Ali Maju. He said they would reduce the use of sugar, oil, carbohydrates and salt.

       As the project will be implemented in phases, Jawahar said they would work with other Presma members and nutritionists to continuously improve options so there would be more varieties for customers to choose from.

       Meanwhile, Jawahar said people should not always associate mamak restaurants with unhealthy food because it’s always the customers who choose the dishes to suit their taste buds.

       “The government should play its part in educating people about obesity and not quickly blame it on mamak foods,” he said.

       The founder and group managing director of Rotol Group, Datuk Seri Garry Chua, who owns various restaurant chains, said they had begun using healthier ingredients.

       “We use high-quality ingredients to make the food both delicious and healthy.

       “We don’t use processed salt or MSG but rock salt and Himalayan pink sea salt because they are more natural and healthier. We also don’t use processed sugar, just pure cane sugar and rock sugar,” said Chua.

       He added that they only use olive and canola oil to ensure that the food was cholesterol-free.