The “Suku-Suku Separuh” (SSS) dietary guideline was introduced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia in 2016 as a public health intervention aimed at promoting balanced eating habits. The principle of allocating one quarter of the plate to carbohydrates, one quarter to protein, and half to fruits and vegetables reflects both a simplified visual tool and an evidence-based approach to reducing diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
However, recent evidence underscores a critical limitation: affordability. A national survey conducted by postgraduate students from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), in collaboration with the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, demonstrates that while nutritionally desirable, the SSS model remains economically unattainable for most Malaysian households.
Cost Burden of SSS Meals
The study, based on 364 valid responses across Malaysia, estimated that an average household of 3.8 individuals would need to spend RM34,883 annually to provide two SSS meals per day. This amount accounts for 46 per cent of the national median household income of RM76,056, indicating a profound mismatch between recommended dietary practices and socioeconomic realities.
The burden is particularly acute in Sarawak, where SSS meals consume nearly two-thirds of household income, as well as in Kelantan, Sabah, Negeri Sembilan, and Perak, where more than half of household resources would be required. These findings illustrate significant regional inequities, with wealthier states such as Selangor and Labuan reporting lower proportional burdens.
Geographic and Nutritional Variability
The average cost of one SSS meal nationwide is RM12.57, but considerable variation exists between states. Meals are most expensive in urbanised and high-cost-of-living regions such as Kuala Lumpur (RM16.27) and Putrajaya (RM16.24), while in states such as Kedah, Terengganu, and Kelantan, the average price falls below RM9.
Crucially, the analysis reveals that higher expenditure does not consistently translate into improved nutritional value. For instance, calorie counts per meal range widely from 444 kcal in Sarawak to over 550 kcal in Labuan, with no consistent correlation between cost and caloric adequacy. This decoupling highlights both inefficiencies in food pricing and inconsistencies in the practical application of the SSS model across contexts.
Behavioural and Structural Barriers
The findings also identify behavioural limitations. Many households interpret the SSS guideline through visual estimation rather than precise measurement, resulting in nutritional imbalances despite adherence to the plate model.
Moreover, food prepared outside the home often lacks the diversity recommended by MOH: fruit is rarely included, and vegetables are limited in variety, particularly in low-cost or mass-catering contexts. Thus, both household practices and structural constraints in the food environment hinder the fidelity of SSS implementation.
Policy Implications
The evidence positions affordability as the primary barrier to scaling up the SSS guideline nationwide. This has several implications for health policy.
First, current social protection measures are inadequate: the government’s Sara cash aid programme excludes fruits and vegetables from its eligibility list, thereby limiting its capacity to reduce the affordability gap. Expanding the scheme to include these essential food groups would directly improve household capacity to adopt healthier diets.
Second, the Menu Rahmah initiative, which provides meals at RM5, should be aligned with SSS principles to ensure nutritional adequacy in addition to affordability. Integrating these schemes represents a feasible, policy-relevant step towards closing the gap between aspiration and reality.
Conclusion
The UiTM-Galen Centre survey reveals a fundamental tension between nutritional policy and economic feasibility in Malaysia. The SSS model remains a scientifically sound and communicatively effective public health tool.
However, without addressing the structural and economic barriers to its adoption, it risks functioning as an aspirational rather than practical guideline. Bridging this gap requires a multi-pronged policy approach: embedding affordability into food subsidy programmes, aligning low-cost meal initiatives with nutritional standards, and incorporating regional adaptations that respect local food environments.
Only through such interventions can the vision of “Suku-Suku Separuh” be transformed from a theoretical framework into a lived reality for Malaysian households.