MOE will expand RMT menu options from 20 to 33 by end-2026 to improve pupils’ nutrition, with rates revised to address rising food costs.
PETALING JAYA: The Education Ministry (MOE) will diversify the Supplementary Food Programme (RMT) menus from 20 to 33 types, with implementation expected by the end of 2026.
In a written reply in Parliament yesterday, its minister Fadhlina Sidek said the enhancement was formulated following discussions with the Health Ministry (MOH), taking into account caloric requirements and balanced dietary needs.
“The initiative aims to meet part of pupils’ daily nutritional needs in line with MOH guidelines while offering more varied menus to better suit their tastes.
“Each RMT recipient receives one cooked meal and one 200ml carton of milk on every school day.”
Fadhlina said this in response to Datuk Suhaimi Nasir (BN-Libaran), who asked about improvement measures for RMT rates in Sabah for 2026 due to higher raw material costs compared with Peninsular Malaysia, and whether RMT menus in rural schools such as those in Libaran are regularly monitored to ensure they are nutritious.
She said there are 26 primary schools with a total enrolment of 10,985 pupils in the Libaran parliamentary constituency. Of this number, 4,326 pupils have been identified as RMT recipients.
“To ensure the quality and nutritional value of meals, RMT implementation is monitored daily by duty teachers through an online system, with weekly reviews by school administrators, while periodic inspections are carried out by district and state education offices as well as the ministry.
“MOH also conducts joint monitoring to ensure hygiene standards and food preparation methods comply with guidelines set by both ministries.”
Fadhlina also said the ministry revised the RMT rates effective November 2022, increasing the rate from RM2.50 to RM3.50 for schools in Peninsular Malaysia, and from RM3.00 to RM4.00 for schools in Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan.
She said the increase is intended to offset rising raw material costs and ease the financial burden on suppliers in providing quality and sufficient RMT meals in accordance with the menus set by the MOE.
RMT is an MOE initiative to provide additional meals to eligible primary school pupils from B40 households, based on the 2022 Poverty Line Income (PLI), namely households with a monthly income below RM1,198.00 or a per capita income of RM322.00.
The Sun Malaysia
