RM3M FOR FOODBANK MALAYSIA INITIATIVE
It will be used to buy 14 refrigerated lorries, says finance minister
THE Finance Ministry (MoF) has approved a special allocation of RM3 million to the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to implement the Foodbank Malaysia programme for the bottom 40 per cent of the household income group (B40), including students at 20 public universities.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the allocation would be used to buy 14 refrigerated lorries for logistics purposes.
“This is a private-public sector initiative to expand the reach of food banks set up by non-governmental organisations and the private sector,” he said at a press conference in conjunction with the successful completion of the Samurai Bonds issuance by the Malaysian government here yesterday.
Lim said the allocation would also be used to provide assistance to the needy.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Foodbank Malaysia programme kicked off at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on Feb 26 and Universiti Malaya on March 7.
He said the programme would be extended to Universiti Putra Malaysia on March 21, Universiti Teknologi Mara Penang (March 23), Universiti Malaysia Pahang (April 1), Universiti Sains Malaysia (April 8), Universiti Utara Malaysia (April 15) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (April 22).
Under the programme, the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry will supply the ingredients to student associations, which would provide the manpower to prepare and distribute the food.
Saifuddin said the universities would be responsible in providing the facilities for food preparation, as well as the list of students in the B40 group.