WHEN Saifuddin Nasution Ismail started the Mutiara Food Bank programme in Penang last year, hardly anyone knew about it. Now, the whole country will.

The domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism minister is taking his brainchild nationwide. The plan is to set up pilot projects in all states first, followed by a nationwide roll-out next year.

This morning, he took directors from the ministry, who hail from various states, and management reps from supermarkets to a briefing on the Mutiara Food Bank’s operations at Tesco Extra in Sg Dua, Penang.

They heard how Tesco and the food bank have worked together over the past year to get unsold fresh produce and bakery goods to the poor in the state, which has 24,324 recipients.

Saifuddin said the programme, which is still expanding in Penang, has a huge impact on people, namely the hardcore poor and B40, or bottom 40% of households, group.

“The ministry plans to take it nationwide, with the cooperation of state governments. Over the next few weeks, we plan to start pilot projects in a few states, with Kelantan being the first. Negri Sembilan has also declared its interest.

“Then, we hope to roll out the programme across the country next year.”

He said he wants his ministry to spearhead the programme, although other ministries – like agriculture and agro-based industry, and local government and housing – might be involved.

“So far, no other ministry has a programme like this. I hope we will get to handle the programme, to help ease the financial burden of the low-income group.”

He said the Mutiara Food Bank does not require much funding as the foodstuff is supplied by participating hypermarkets, supermarkets, caterers, restaurants and hotels, among others.

“All we need to have is coordination for food collection and distribution. I see this as a programme that we can start immediately to help those in need.

“We have spoken to some large supermarkets and state governments, and they are supportive of the idea. So, we will duplicate the Mutiara Food Bank initiative in the pilot projects in other states.”

He said as the food bank grows, some laws will be introduced to register all the parties involved, and to regulate the programme and its activities.

“That is in the plan, as it is still a new initiative in the country. In the past, we only had civil society groups carrying out similar programmes on a small scale.

“When we go nationwide, we will need suitable laws or regulations to control and coordinate the programme in the long term. I am speaking to the ministry’s legal adviser on this.”

Saifuddin added that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was supportive of the initiative when he proposed it recently.

“I was asked what I wanted to do at the ministry. I gave a few ideas, but the food bank was the only idea Dr Mahathir commented on.

“He said the programme has to be done. He also shared his experience of owning a bakery in Langkawi. The unsold baked goods were all thrown out.”

Looking back on how the programme started in May last year, Saifuddin said he was then a strategic adviser to former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng.

He had an idea about getting hypermarkets and supermarkets to donate unsold produce and bakery goods to the poor, instead of sending the foodstuff to the landfill.

The state government supported the proposal, but there was not much in terms of financial allocation.

Saifuddin had to use his own money and contribute his pick-up truck to the food bank, so that coordinators could collect the produce from Tesco outlets.

“When we started, I didn’t think I would ever end up as a federal minister. At the time, we had nothing to go on except for the hard work and passion of the team, and the support of civil society groups.

“The hardest was the first step, but we managed to capture the state’s imagination.

“Now, with the strength of the ministry, there is no reason why we cannot do it beyond Penang. Luckily, I am the minister in charge of supermarkets.”

The Mutiara Food Bank gets unsold food from four Tesco outlets in Penang, and three in Sg Petani and Kulim in Kedah.

It will also set up a central kitchen at the Caring Society Complex. The kitchen will reheat and repack untouched cooked food donated by caterers and hotels. – August 4, 2018.