KUALA LUMPUR: Speculation over a purported 50 per cent hike in food prices sold at school canteens has sparked calls for an intervention by the government.
MCA's Public Policy and People's Livelihood Research Advisory Committee wants the government to intervene to avoid such an increase.
The committee's chairperson Dr Monna Ong Siew Siew said it was concerned following a report on the matter by a Malay daily.
Dr Ong said the Education Ministry and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, must intervene to address the issue.
She said the report by the Malay daily quoted Malaysian School Canteen Operators Association (PPKSM) president Khairuddin Hamzah.
The latter was quoted as saying the hike would be a result of stricter subsidies on goods, particularly sugar and cooking oil.
"Every three years, schools open tenders for canteen operators.
"Operators are required to submit new prices for the items sold at the canteen based on the current cost and an estimated price of the goods for the coming year.
"Usually, it is about a 20 to 30 per cent increase that would be used in the quotation proposal.
"However, this time since there was a change in the enforcement terms, the hike may be more," Khairuddin was quoted as telling the daily.
Ong said the advisory committee wished to emphasise the importance of ensuring affordable, nutritious meals for schoolchildren, particularly those from B40 and M40 families.
"The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2022 shows that approximately 21.2 per cent of Malaysian children suffer from stunting, a condition often linked to poverty.
"Not to mention a report by the New Straits Times on Dec 9, last year that quoted Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh as saying she had encountered families who feed their babies sugar water as they could not afford infant milk formula and Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni's revelation in Parliament on Nov 1, that 29.7 per cent of Malaysian children up to 4 years old had experienced stunted growth.
She said these were all the more reason for the government to intervene and address the matter.
She said lower-income families tend to opt for cheaper, less nutritious food due to limited financial resources, exacerbated by the rising cost of living.
"Given these concerns, the advisory committee calls on Yeoh and Lukanisman to explain why no subsequent measures have been undertaken to address the link between stunted growth and poverty, which they had previously highlighted," she said in a statement.
She said the committee wanted the relevant ministries to find solutions to prevent malnutrition and stunted growth among children if school canteen food becomes exorbitant.
"The Finance Ministry could also offer tax incentives to canteen operators to help keep food and drink prices affordable," she said.