KUALA LUMPUR: The Supplementary Food Programme (RMT) implemented nationwide in all schools has received the highest budget allocation for two consecutive years, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the programme has benefited students from households below the national poverty line, including those classified as hardcore poor, as well as students from Orang Asli schools and students with special needs.
"We often hear concerns about food prices in schools, which are monitored by the District Education Offices to ensure that prices charged by schools and canteens are reasonable.
"The ministry has also sustained the RMT initiative for our children, with the highest budget allocation in its history for two consecutive years.
"Over the past three years, allocations given for RMT were RM616 million in 2022, RM777 million in 2023, and RM716 million in 2024," he said during today's ministerial question time.
Wong said this in response to a supplementary question from Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah) regarding the ministry's monitoring mechanism for the increase in food prices in schools.
Under the 2024 Budget tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the government increased the RMT allocation from RM625 million to RM784 million, marking a 25.33 per cent increase.
The allocation for pre-school food supplementary programme has also been increased by 48 per cent from RM89 million to close to RM1.32 billion.