THE ministers in charge of education and children should identify children lacking access to food and report the data to parliament when it reconvenes later this month, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh said.

The former women, family and community development deputy minister said this was necessary as food prices rise and amid reports of university students skipping meals.

“There (has been) no effective executive voice from the Education Minister Radzi Jidin or Women Minister Rina Harun tasked with looking after the welfare of children. The least they could do now is to identify the affected children and report this to Parliament when we reconvene our meetings.

“Without data, civil societies and various groups will not be able to assist meaningfully,” Yeoh said in a statement today.

Parliament is to reconvene on July 18.

Yeoh referred to news reports on university students skipping meals due to rising food and living costs and called it a “ticking time bomb”.

“These price hikes have affected many low- and middle-income families. They barely have enough for survival, having to live from hand to mouth,” she said, adding that children from poor families will be the hardest hit.

Not only are needy families unable to afford quality food, they also may not be able to seek medical treatment for their children. Added to that is the shortage of medicines, Yeoh also noted.

Children’s education will suffer, too, when families have less money to spare for education purposes, be it transport to school, books or uniforms.

“Their education may be interrupted or in some instances removed completely as affected households may require their children’s help in the running of stalls and businesses as paid help is far more costly.”

Yeoh the food prices crisis was akin to the cycle of adverse Covid-19 effects on children, and cautioned that Malaysia would reap the negative consequences in the future of malnourished and uneducated children if Putrajaya did not intervene sustainably. – July 5, 2022.