‘Malnutrition report not true’

KUALA LUMPUR: A report on the United Nations Children’s Fund ( Unicef) study that children from the Public Housing Programme ( PPR) areas in Kuala Lumpur suffer from malnutrition is not true.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the ministry had never received any report from teachers on pupils who are stunted and could not afford to buy food.

“We have a study. There is no such cases in school revealing that the children cannot afford (food) until they fare so badly. So far there has been no report from the teachers,” he told the Dewan Rakyat sitting yesterday.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Nurul Izzah Anwar ( Lembah Pantai- PKR) who wanted a clarification from the ministry on the Unicef report that was published recently.

Among others, it claimed that children staying at PPR around Kuala Lumpur were more affected by the problem compared to children in other areas.

Mahdzir said the government also implemented various initiatives to ensure the wellbeing of pupils in the country are being taken care, including the Supplementary Food Plan ( RMT) to benefit 458,483 school pupils from the rural and low income groups this year.

He said the RMT programme benefited 515,028 pupils in 2017; 538,620 ( 2016); 536,103 ( 2015) and 559,383 (2014).

The ministry also worked closely with the Health Ministry to hold regular teeth and eye checks on pupils as well as thalassemia examination, he said.

He said pupils with health problems would be referred to clinics or hospitals for follow-up treatment. — Bernama