PETALING JAYA: Indonesia has the right to defend the “lumpia” or spring roll as a heritage dish, the country’s ambassador to Malaysia Herman Prayitno, said in a statement on Saturday.

He added, however, that Malaysia should also have the right to enjoy its popiah.

“I hope this won’t be overstated. Indonesia has the right to submit a claim to an authoritative body like Unesco to acknowledge ‘lumpia’ as a world cultural heritage originated from Indonesia, of course with a complete historical evidence.

“Meanwhile, Malaysia also have the right to enjoy their own popiah.

“We know that spring rolls are easily found in East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine, with similarities in the way it is made in China, Vietnam and Singapore,” Prayitno said.

He added that it was important not to provoke the situation, and urged Indonesians and Malaysians to remain calm.

On Friday, a small group of people from the Forum Peduli Budaya Indonesia (Formasbudi) protested outside the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta, claiming that the lumpia is an Indonesian national cultural heritage

A source based in Jakarta however told The Star Online that the protesters distributed flyers of the "Lumpia Delight" brand during the protest.

"It looked like a promotion of the brand," said the source.

The protesters also brought along popiahs to the 30-minute demonstration with Indonesian flags stuck on the rolls as a symbol of popiah ownership.

The popiah and its variants are widely found in East and Southeast Asia although it is believed by many to have originated from Fujian, China.





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