PERMATANG PAUH: Food Bank Siswa, an extension of the Food Bank Malaysia programme, will be rolled out in 20 public universities nationwide in stages, including in Sabah and Sarawak.
At present, the Food Bank Siswa has been introduced in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre in Cheras and Universiti Malaya.
Today, the Food Bank Siswa was officially launched at Universiti Teknologi Mara's (UiTM) branch campus in Permatang Pauh here.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Food Bank Siswa initiative was to help university students from the B40 group or poor families.
He said for UiTM Permatang Pauh alone, some 800 students registered for the food aid while another 200 students from the neighbouring Politeknik Seberang Prai.
In UKM, some 200 undergraduates registered for assistance.
“The number of students receiving the aid will vary according to the universities. We will get the list from the respective universities.
“This is just a start and the Food Bank Siswa will be made available nationwide as we go along. More importantly, this will not be one-off but an ongoing initiative.
“We are extremely thankful and grateful to all those who made this possible,” he told newsmen today, thanking the Malaysia Muslim Restaurant Owner Association (PPRIM) for donating a van to facilitate in logistics arrangements for the Food Bank Siswa initiative.
Elaborating, Saifuddin said the universities have been given the freedom to decide how best to effectively execute the initiative.
“In UiTM Permatang Pauh’s case, the university officials have set aside a pantry where those who registered for assistance could go there to get their dry food provisions, which include cereal, instant noodle and beverage mix,” he added.
Berita Harian had recently reported how some university students, mostly from the B40 group, had adopted a frugal lifestyle to ensure they have something to eat the next day.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin said between August last year and February this year, the Food Bank Malaysia initiative had benefitted some 45,850 households nationwide, involving 1,055 metric tonnes of food.
“We have almost reached all 14 states in the country and I can say that it has been successful,” he added, noting that some 430 hyper markets and supermarkets have made the programme possible.
Primer Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched the Food Bank Malaysia last December, aimed at reducing the cost of living for local consumers, especially those in the B40 group.