by ANIS HAZIM / pic BERNAMA

HEALTH minister Khairy Jamaluddin is proposing to the Ministry of Education (MoE) to raise the current expenditure on Supplementary Meal Plan (RMT) considering the increase in raw goods prices.

He said that the current prices are insufficient to cover the prices of the raw goods for the school meals as aligned by the Ministry of Health (MoH).

“The RM2.50 dan RM3 spending for Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan respectively are insufficient to foot expenditure for raw goods under the menu to foot that we have prepared,” Khairy told a press conference after witnessing the official opening of Hematogenix Asia Pacific in Malaysia on Friday.

He proposed to raise at least RM4 for Peninsular Malaysia and RM5.50 for Sabah and Sarawak which he will discuss with MoE and the cabinet soon.

“The allocation has to be increased or the children are not getting the required nutrition at schools,” he said.

He noted that only 61% of schools checked by the MoH have complied with the RMT’s prescribed meals since January.

On the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill, he said that several stakeholders including vape entrepreneurs and health non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have shown their full support for the Bill.

“So far, there has been multiple support for the Bill including from health NGOs and in fact, there were multiple statements urging the MPs to not oppose the Bill,” he added.

Therefore, he said that his ministry will engage with Members of Parliament (MPs) next week when the Bill is tabled for its first reading.

He stressed that the Bill was not only for the generational endgame but also to regulate the vaping industry.

“We have to be on the right side of history. This Bill has been ten years in the making,” he said.

He also assured that there will be no direct repercussions to the tobacco market once the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill is passed.

“There will be no immediate repercussions to businesses, the market will only be affected over time and little by little until it fades out,” he further said.