KUALA LUMPUR: Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin has ordered the ministry to investigate claims that students were only served with plain rice and gravy under the Supplementary Food Programme (RMT).
Radzi, in a Facebook post today, said he has asked the ministry to identify the school that allegedly served such low quality food.
"The ministry will not compromise on issues that involve the welfare of students," he said.
Earlier yesterday, a Facebook user uploaded a picture of a packet of plain rice topped with only gravy and claimed that the food was served to her brother's grandchild in school.
Condemning such practice as "sadistic", the user also questioned if canteen operators only receive a small allocation under RMT that they were forced to serve such food to students.
Former Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik, meanwhile, said he has been urging the government to increase the RMT rates for schools so canteen operators can serve quality food to students.
During a Dewan Rakyat sitting last month, the Simpang Renggam member of parliament urged the government to increase the RMT rates for schools from RM2.50 per student to RM4.
Retaining the current rate, he said, was unreasonable due to the rising prices of goods, and it would eventually result in canteen operators compromising on the quality of food served to students.
He had also suggested for the government to roll out a Free Breakfast Programme in schools and expand the RMT programme to include students from M40 households who are in need of the assistance.