No quinoa for me, only rice, says Dr Mahathir

Updated 6 years ago · Published on 23 Feb 2018 2:06PM · 3 Comments

Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he only eats local rice, in reference to Prime Minister Najib Razak's comment that he has replaced the staple with quinoa. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, February 23, 2018.

PAKATAN Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad has taken a dig at Najib Razak over the prime minister’s disclosure that he had given up rice for the imported grain quinoa.

In a tweet this afternoon, Dr Mahathir said he only ate local rice. “Saya makan nasi beras tempatan sahaja (I only eat local rice),” he wrote.

Dr Mahathir’s tweet also features an image of a smiling Najib with the quote, “Saya tak makan nasi, saya makan quinoa (I don’t eat rice, I eat quinoa).”

It also included another caption of a beggar saying: “Yang dia makan quinoa 250gm RM15, yang rakyat makan beras 1kg RM2.70” (What he eats costs RM15 for 250g, what the people eat, rice, costs RM2.70 for 1kg).

Najib has become a target for the opposition’s ridicule after he mentioned in a live interview yesterday that could not exercise as frequently as he wanted, so he watched his diet, and had replaced the local staple with the Peruvian-grown quinoa.

“Not as often I’d like to (exercise). I like to eat. My problem is I love food. Like most Malaysians.

“But I have to control (my eating). For example, I don’t eat rice, but quinoa. My son introduced me to quinoa, a food from Peru.

“It is protein-based, so it has less carbohydrates and less sugar content, so it is better than rice,” Najib said in the live question-and-answer Budget 2018 programme.

Earlier today, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said Najib’s statement showed he was out of touch with the plight of Malaysians and that the 14th general election will be about quinoa versus rice.

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Comments

  • Ha ha ha that's why penyamun mo1 is in favour of false news act

    Posted 6 years ago by Leslie Chan · Reply

  • Malaysia rice farmers ONLY SURVIVAL IS BY CULTIVATING RICE AS A SOURCE OF INCOME. And by the income they lived a frugal life. NOW THAT ALSO KILLED BY UMNO PROPOSAL OF QUINOA AND RECOMMENDED BY A SITTING P.M. WHO IS SUPPOSE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS FARMERS..

    Posted 6 years ago by Mohanarajan murugeson · Reply

  • Mahatir & Najib - dont eat rice or quino - makan rasuah is more than enough.

    Posted 6 years ago by Chris Ng · Reply