A parliamentary committee calls for milk subsidies and extended health monitoring to tackle Malaysia’s rising child stunting rates, citing serious impacts on brain development.

KUALA LUMPUR: A parliamentary committee has proposed introducing or retargeting milk subsidies to address nutritional deficiencies linked to child stunting.

The Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children and Community Development believes milk is an effective and affordable source of essential nutrients.

Committee chairman Yeo Bee Yin (pic) said milk has not received the same subsidy attention as cooking oil and sugar.

She urged several ministries to review existing subsidies to ensure milk is prioritised.

“Stunting is not just about physical height. It has serious effects on a child’s brain structure and function,” Yeo said in the Dewan Rakyat.

She explained it can lead to smaller brain volume and weaker neural connections, affecting IQ and concentration.

The 2022 National Health and Morbidity Survey showed the stunting rate among under-fives rose to 21.2%.

This marks an increase from 17.7% in 2015, making Malaysia the only ASEAN country with a rising trend since 2000.

The committee also recommended a mandatory monitoring system for all children under five.

It proposed extending nutrition interventions from the first 1,000 days of life to 2,000 days.

Yeo said stunting becomes harder to detect after 18 months until children enter kindergarten.

She recommended making nutritional consultations compulsory at six, 12 and 18 months at all health facilities.

The committee called for intensified public awareness campaigns on nutrition.

It also urged faster implementation of mandatory front-of-pack Nutri-Grade labelling on food and beverages.

Yeo said Malaysia should learn from Indonesia, which reduced its stunting rate by 11 percentage points in six years.

Indonesia’s success was supported by a national initiative backed by a presidential regulation.

The committee recommended studying the need for a similar legal mandate in Malaysia.

 The Sun Malaysia