KUALA LUMPUR: The Madani Breakfast Programme will be expanded to more schools in the capital as an early intervention measure to ensure children start their day with nutritious food.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the programme started at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Permaisuri and will continue with 13 primary schools in Kuala Lumpur involving 10,000 people.
“I approved some additional allocation and asked the organisers to extend this programme to more schools in Kuala Lumpur,” she said in a Facebook post yesterday.
“Every ringgit invested is a long-term investment for the health, intelligence and productivity of the next generation. This is the meaning of ‘ihsan’ in the spirit of Madani where we all work together to build a healthy, intelligent and competitive generation.”
Earlier, Dr Zaliha attended the launch of the Madani Breakfast Programme at the Kuala Lumpur level, with students from SK Seri Permaisuri in Cheras.
She said various studies on child malnutrition, including in Kuala Lumpur, found that there was a double burden of malnutrition, with some children suffering from malnutrition while others were over-nourished without sufficient nutrients.
“The risk is that there will be a weak immune system, problems focusing on studies, and ultimately less productivity when they grow up.
“These are signs of prolonged malnutrition. These children also have the potential to suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure when they grow up,” she added. – BERNAMA
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