Ex-MP calls for national meals plan in 2027 budget after stunting stats
Charles Santiago says stunting should be treated as a cost-of-living issue.
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has urged the Malaysian government to include a national meals plan in the 2027 budget to address child stunting. Santiago, who served as MP for three terms, stated that no Malaysian child should be denied a healthy growth opportunity due to unaffordable nutritious meals. Stunting, defined as a child being too short for their age, is usually a result of chronic undernutrition or repeated illness, which can impact brain development, learning, health, and future earnings.
He emphasized that stunting should be treated as a cost-of-living issue, as households often have to compromise on nutritious food when stretched to their financial limits. Santiago highlighted that Malaysia's under-five stunting rate rose from 11.3% in 2011 to 20.7% in 2016, with Unicef's latest estimate remaining high at 22% nationally.
He urged the government to recognize child stunting as a critical national concern and warned that rising malnutrition among young children poses a threat to long-term human and economic development.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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