Affordability over nutrition: The growing cost of eating well in Malaysia

Malaysian Reserve

a day ago

AS THE cost of living continues to rise in Malaysia, driven in part by the Sales and Service Tax (SST) on July 1, many families are finding it increasingly difficult to put nutritious food on the table.
While SST may not apply directly to all food products, its indirect effect — through higher transport, service and business-operational costs — has raised the prices of everything from fresh vegetables and fruits to basic groceries.
Notably, tropical fruits like bananas, pineapples and rambutans will be taxed at 5%, along with essential imported fruits such as mandarin oranges, grapes, berries, avocados, lychees and starfruit. These are not luxury items. They are daily dietary staples for millions of urban Malaysians, providing essential nutrients such as fibre, vitamin C, antioxidants and healthy fats.
In many cases, these imported fruits cannot be produced locally at a sufficient scale, making them irreplaceable within the current food system.
Prioritise Affordability Over Nutrition
What once was a balanced meal has now become a budgeting challenge. Families from all walks of life and across all income levels must now prioritise affordability over nutrition. While economic policies may aim to boost national revenue, their ripple effects are deeply felt in household kitchens, where meals are increasingly shaped by price rather than nutritional value. This shift is understandable — but it comes at a cost to our health.
Middle-income families are also struggling to stretch their budgets, opting for quantity over quality when feeding their households. This growing 'health affordability gap' is dangerous. It results in a population that is fed but not nourished.
This issue closely ties to dietary inequality, where socioeconomic status, lifestyle, geography and systemic access determine not just how much food people can buy, but also the quality of that food.
Today's dietary patterns are increasingly unsafe, unstable and unequal — especially for a significant portion of the population. When good nutrition becomes inaccessible, the consequences are felt across the entire nation. This dietary shift is driving a surge in malnutrition – seen in both undernutrition and rising obesity rates, especially in urban, low-income communities where access to fresh, healthy food is limited.
Poor diets compromise immune function, increase sick days, reduce workplace productivity and place a heavy burden on the national healthcare system. For children, the effects are even more severe: Stunted growth, reduced cognitive performance and long-term health complications.
If this issue remains unaddressed, the gap between those who can afford to eat well and those who cannot will continue to widen — posing a serious threat not only to individual wellbeing but also to Malaysia's social stability, economic strength and long-term development.
Without intervention, the post-SST could see increased demand for public healthcare due to diet-related illnesses, greater pressure on school-feeding programmes as more children arrive undernourished and deeper social divides between families who can afford balanced meals and those who cannot.
Good Nutrition is a Right, Necessity
The government should zero-rate SST for essential, nutritious items — such as imported fruits like grapes, berries and avocados. These fruits are daily sources of vitamins and fibre and should be accessible to all income groups. Nutrition equity must go beyond borders. Good health should not depend on whether a fruit is grown locally or imported.
Encourage supermarkets and grocers to offer rotational weekly discounts on both local and widely consumed imported fruits under a 'Healthy Fruit for All' label. Many urban families rely on promotions to make purchasing decisions.
Clearly labelled discounts on both local and essential imported fruits (eg apples, grapes, berries) can increase affordability and promote healthier choices. Retailers should be incentivised to include both type of fruits in their healthy bundles.
Good nutrition is not a luxury. It is a fundamental right that must be safeguarded through accessible policy and practical action. The SST rollout may be necessary for economic sustainability, but nutrition must not become collateral damage.
Without intervention, we risk reversing progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to health, hunger and inequality. Every action we take now will determine whether Malaysia remains on track towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — or falls into a nutrition divide that harms generations to come.
Let's ensure that the right to eat well does not become a privilege. A healthy Malaysia begins with affordable nutrition for all.
Dr Salini Devi Rajendran
Senior Lecturer
Taylor's Culinary Institute,
Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management,
Taylor's University.