KUALA LUMPUR: More than 4,000 pupils nationwide enjoyed a free meal yesterday on the first day of the Enhanced Supplementary Food Programme.
The first phase of the programme involves pupils from Year Two to Six, who are from poor and hardcore poor families.
The meals were served from 7am to 7.30am for those attending morning school.
Those in the afternoon session received their meals between 12.30pm and 2pm.
The food included rice or noodle dishes, such as fried mee or fried rice, together with protein, such as fried chicken.
These were accompanied by fruits such as bananas, apples or oranges, and hot drinks.
The meals were given in containers, which were mostly re-usable.
Education director-general Dr Habibah Abdul Rahman said the initiative was formulated to cultivate good eating habits among schoolchildren.
The programme was also crucial to monitor pupils’ nutritional intake before starting classes.
“Previously, the Supplementary Food Programme distribution was done at recess.
“But through this programme, the ministry decided to synchronise the timing with breakfast time.
“The idea behind this is to ensure our schoolchildren are well-fed before they start classes.
“We want to teach them that breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” she said after inspecting the programme’s launch at SK Seri Suria here yesterday.
She said the Education Ministry worked with the Health Ministry to determine the best meals for pupils, which fulfilled their dietary and caloric requirements as growing children.
“As a result, there are more than 20 menus that will be prepared by canteens.
“So pupils get to eat a variety of food instead of just one meal during their term.”
When asked how the poor and hardcore pupils were selected for the programme, Habibah said they were chosen based on their family’s monthly income, according to data from the district education office.
“The database will show who are eligible for the meals.
“Then we obtain consent from their parents. We can’t just give them food without their parents’ knowledge.”
Habibah said the programme was expanded from its previous version to include more poor pupils, and now involved 517,000 pupils.
“These pupils are from families that live below the National Poverty Line, which are those who earn less than RM980 a month and live in the Hardcore Poor Housing Project (PPRT).”
Citing pupils from SK Seri Suria, she said almost 90 per cent of the programme’s participants from the school lived in a nearby PPRT.
“Besides providing free breakfast for pupils in need, the programme will teach them about eating etiquette.
“There are teachers in charge to oversee pupils to redeem and eat their free breakfast. This is to ensure that no food will go to waste.
“We want them to learn eating etiquette, such as washing their hands before they eat, or civic lessons on how to dispose of their food packs.
“We labelled each food pack according to its recipient.
“This is to track who has and has not redeemed his food in the morning.
“Pupils who do not redeem their meals at breakfast can do so during recess,” said Habibah.
In Pasir Putih, Kelantan Education Department student development sector deputy head Mashadi Mustapha said 2,062 hardcore poor and poor pupils in eight schools in the state would benefit from the programme.
Among them are 353 pupils at SK Panggong, who tucked into a breakfast of fried mee, fried chicken and iced Milo.
Mashadi said most of the parents of the recipients worked as rubber tappers and farmers, who earn between RM604 and RM960 a month to support their families.
In Kuala Kangsar, 135 pupils at SK Datin Khadijah ate fried rice, guava and drank hot Milo for breakfast. They are among 850 pupils from six schools in the state who will enjoy free meals.
State Education, Technology, Science and Environmental Committee chairman Dr Abdul Aziz Bari, who visited the school yesterday, said SJK(T) Ayer Tawar in Manjung had the most participants in the programme with 220 pupils.
The other schools are SK Jernang in Sungkai; SK Seri Tanjung in Tanjung Rambutan; SK Suak Padi in Bota and SJK(C) Chui Chak in Langkap.
In Kuching, 2,704 pupils from 10 schools were selected for the programme.
State Education Department director Dr Azhar Ahmad said the schools were selected based on the Bottom 40 per cent (B40) families registry.
“This is to ensure that pupils, especially from low-income families, have enough nutrients to help them focus in class,” he said after launching the programme at SK Tambirat here.
The remaining schools involved were SK Penghulu Imban in Dalat, SK Long Lapok (Baram), SK Spoah (Betong) and SK Tuanku Bagus (Sebuyau), SK Koran (Serian), SK Abang Haji Matahir (Sarikei), SK Kampung Seberang, SK Abang Leman (Kabong), SJK(C)Chung Hua Sungai Moyan.
In Kota Kinabalu, SK Kebagu Parent-Teacher Association chairman Marzuki Utuhman urged the ministry to consider providing free breakfast for all pupils at the school as 99 per cent of parents were fishermen or construction workers.
However, Sabah Education Department director Dr Mistirine Radinin said only 415 out of 644 pupils at the school qualified for the programme.
In Kluang, Johor Education Department director Azman Adnan said 707 Year Two to Year Six pupils from six primary schools in the state benefited from the programme.
“Each pupil will receive food worth RM2.50 a day. This amounts to RM335,825 a year, which does not include Year One pupils who will start with the programme on Feb 2,” he said after visiting SK Pekan Layang Layang, which is involved in the programme.
The other schools involved are SJK(C) Chong Hua, SK Parit and SK Rengit, all in Batu Pahat; SK Seri Jong in Muar and SK Tengku Mahmood Iskandar 1 in Pontian. - Reporting by Farah Solhi, Zahratulhayat Mat Arif and Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah; Additional reporting by Goh Pei Pei, Olivia Miwil and Adnan Ibrahim