Children are hungry and malnourished in a nation where urbanites throw away almost one million kilogrammes of food annually.

According to a Universiti Malaya study, food wastage is a serious and growing concern in the country. Yet there are Malaysian children who go to bed hungry daily.

Recently  in Penampang, Sabah, “a first time food distribution programme in the state left members of a joint delegation from the Ministries of Women, Family and Community Development and Health in shock”, highlighted several media reports.

azlan “It was an eye-opener for us to witness these extreme conditions. Poverty is a vicious cycle,” said a member of the delegation.

The delegation distributed food baskets worth RM300 each, containing nine food items to 55 malnourished children registered with the Penampang Health Clinic, about 16km from Kota Kinabalu.

“The government has implemented similar food support programmes under the 1Azam initiative in several states in the peninsula. Penampang was chosen because it has a high number of children who are malnourished,” the spokesperson said.

The 1Azam initiative is part of the Government Transformation Programme’s National Key Results Area to raise the living standards of low-income households. It is led by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

According to the Health Ministry, more than 1,000 children in Sabah are underweight. There an estimated 11,000 underweight children in the country.

Fundamental questions on poverty

Once again, the media has merely reported the event on distribution of food baskets and not raised fundamental questions on poverty among children in a resource-rich state or even the contents of the food basket.

But what should be of concern, in addition to why there are  malnourished children in Malaysia, is the contents of the food basket. The nine food items in each food basket were rice, cereals, cooking oil, milk powder, tins of sardines, biscuits, cough mixture , vitamins and Milo. Please note these food items are meant for children aged between six months and six years.

rosmah hilton hotel 221209 sharizat The first question Malaysians should ask is: Why are there malnourished children in resource-rich Sabah? What shocks me further is the admission of the delegation from Shahrizat’s ( right ) ministry that the dire conditions of poverty is an eye-opener! The statement is telling. Government officials are ignorant of the realities on the ground. For too long they have danced to the tunes of their political masters.

The media, NGOs and academics have been highlighting the poverty, hunger and pain of the children of the land below the wind.

While researching on philanthropy in Sabah in 2000, I was informed by the Tze Merit Society  in Kota Kinabalu about their efforts to assist starving children in Sabah’s interior areas. I forwarded the information to the Sabah Foundation which promised swift action.

But let us examine the contents of the food baskets worth RM300 donated to children between six months and six years. It is an inappropriate, risky and dangerous food basket for malnourished children.

Cough mixtures, vitamins and Milo are not the solutions to conditions of malnourishment. Children may need vitamin supplements but these should be given under medical supervision. Importantly, vitamin supplementation is not the solution to hunger. And why are cough mixtures distributed in a food basket? Cough mixtures are irrational and ineffective medicines that should not be promoted indiscriminately to children.

Were experts consulted?

Many questions need to be raised about these food baskets. Were experts on nutrition consulted before public funds were spent on the food baskets? Was the Food Quality control Division of the Health Ministry consulted in what food items are needed to address malnutrition?  

Unfortunately, effective inter-agency coordination remains a serious problem among ministries. Political mileage and publicity from activities such as handouts to the poor and needy are easier to achieve.

Were the items in the food baskets intended for the families too?

Malnourished children come from poor families. Studies by local universities show that food intended for malnourished children are shared among family members. The rice, cereals, cooking oil and biscuits will be utilised to feed families and not just the malnourished children.

Did government officials look into this aspect of food subsidies for hungry children? There are existing studies on these areas and they should be referred to and not collect dust in university libraries.

Malnutrition in children indicates a lack of nutritional elements for the necessary growth and development of children. The contents of the food baskets distributed to the malnourished children of Penampang do not meet the guidelines of the new Malaysia Food Pyramid published by the Health Ministry in April, 2010.

Why are there double standards? Shouldn’t the food baskets  distributed by federal government agencies for  Sabah  meet the guidelines set by the Health Ministry?

Hungry children require adequate micronutrients from vegetables and fruits. Recognising these are perishable items and unsuitable for a food basket in the context it was distributed, some thought should have gone into the measures for providing adequate and wholesome food for Sabah’s malnourished children.

No infomation on suppliers

While the contents of the food baskets have been revealed, there is no information on the suppliers. Transparency about the suppliers would throw some light on the guidelines used for the choice of suppliers and the role of pharmaceutical companies.

A redefinition of food policies is necessary if sustainable access to food for all Malaysians is to be achieved soon. Food security should begin at the time a child is conceived so that there are no malnourished children in the country. Instead of distributing inappropriate food baskets with pomp and pageantry, the government should look at other options, eg food coupons to provide immediate relief to malnourished children.   

C Gopalan, a researcher from India, once wrote, “ There are just no miracle drugs, magic bullets and short cuts in the war against poverty and malnutrition.” Sadly, it has not dawned on public officials in this country that political and social interventions are required to prevent hunger and malnutrition, not food baskets of sardines, cough mixtures and vitamins.

Josie has worked on food security matters nationally through integrated pest management programmes for farmers and for the Asia Pacific she undertook 15 country food security projects.

 

JOSIE M FERNANDEZ is currently an Asian Public Intellectual Fellow, director of Philanthropy Asia, consultant and researcher. Working on sustainability, philanthropy and anti-corruption actions are some of her current passions besides writing.