Ministry leaves to MACC to probe milk issue

KUALA LUMPUR: Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik is leaving to the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) to probe into the loss of milk, worth millions of ringgit, under the program Susu 1Malaysia ( PS1M) during the previous administration.

“We leave to MACC to make any comments. I do not want to interrupt any investigation,’” he said when approached by reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) had recently queried on the status of the programme, saying that the milk was not distributed to schools since January despite already being allocated for in the 2018 Budget. The school milk programme was first introduced in 1983.

Meanwhi le, Maszlee said the ministry would ensure the procurement process for PS1M would be conducted through open tender in future.

“There’ll ne no more direct negotiation and we will ensure no santan (coconut milk) factory will be given the contract to supply milk,” he added. On the ban for opposition members of Parliament ( MPs) to visit schools, it was to avoid them from spreading hate politics to students.

“When the government MPs go to schools, they go to explain government policies, but for the opposition ( MPs), we need them to make an application first, so we want to give them conditions and prerequisite... we don’t want people to spread lies and hatred in school,” he added.