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Concerns over MOE's free meals programme

Aug 28, 2019

Secondary school students might need free meals more than primary school kids. 

The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia, PAGE is cautious about the Education Ministry's new free meals programme.

It believes more research should be done on which age group of students requires a free nutritious meal more. 

Chairperson Datin Noor Azimah is also concerned about food wastage, as children can be picky eaters. 

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong also voiced concerns about the programme's cost, which he estimates to be 1.6 billion ringgit a year. 

He said the move might not be practical nor suitable for every child. 

The Education Ministry's free meals programme for primary school kids will start next January. 

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A lot to consider before Go-Jek move

Looking into motorcycle ride-hailing will also give the government a chance to formulate a safety framework for two-wheeler food delivery. 

The Transport Minister said there are no safety guidelines for the service at the moment, while many have complained about careless riders. 

Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof hopes the govt will not be hasty in approving motorcycle e-hailing.

"There must be some rules in place. There must be some guidelines. There must be some fencing on which area you can use, or is it just limited to parcel delivery? Is it limited to like Grab food, or just to transport people? There are many factors to look into."

The Youth and Sports Minister kickstarted the idea, saying motorcycle ride-hailing will create lots of job opportunities for the youth.

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18-year-olds can't vote just yet

Youths aged 18 now still have to wait two years to register as voters.

The Election Commission said just because the government lowered the voting age, it doesn't mean the move can be implemented immediately. 

It's still setting up the automatic voter registration system, which must be able to accomodate over 22 million voters.