tHE sCHOOL cANTEEN

2009/04/23 Warning to school contractors who supply poor food

The Education Ministry will terminate the services of contractors who fail to comply with the health and safety conditions in supplying food to students.

Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the government was serious in this matter as it involved the health of students .The food supply is done through the ministry's supplementary food programme."We want all food suppliers appointed under this programme to be responsible and to abide by the conditions set in the contract with the ministry."We will not compromise on this as the programme was introduced to make sure students get nutritious food in schools. We want the conditions on the type of food supplied and its nutritional content to be strictly followed."

The programme benefits some 280,000 students in residential schools and 550,000 in other schools.

It was reported that students in a school in Sarawak under the programme were given a plate of rice and one dish.The claims were made by the students and parents.The ministry allocated RM3 billion annually for the welfare of students and this included the RM250 million for the programme.Most of the students under the programme come from Sabah and Sarawak. They also get financial aid, scholarships, tuition and uniforms from the ministry.

Cases of involving the canteen:-

1. Food poisoning hits 60 primary pupils in Johor [NATION 22-Oct-2008] Sixty schoolchildren from SK Taman Rinting 3, Johor Baru, are down with food poisoning after eating nasi lemak from their school canteen.

2. 60 pupils ill after nasi lemak meal [NATION 23-Oct-2008] Sixty pupils from SK Taman Rinting 3 suffered food poisoning after eating nasi lemak at their school canteen.

3. Education Ministry to monitor schools for tainted food from China [NATION 24-Sep-2008] The Education Ministry will monitor school canteens to ensure that tainted food from China do not get into the system, minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said.

4. School canteen closed after 43 fall ill with food poisoning [NATION 12-Aug-2008] The SK Taman Daya 2 canteen has been closed after 43 pupils came down with food poisoning on Saturday

5. School canteen closed after food poisoning [NATION 11-Aug-2008] The SK Taman Daya 2 canteen has been closed following the recent food poisoning incident involving 43 students in Johor Baru.

6. 43 pupils fall ill after eating chicken nuggets [NATION 10-Aug-2008] A total of 43 pupils from SK Taman Daya 2 suffered food poisoning after they were believed to have eaten chicken nuggets at the school canteen.

7. 74 sick after canteen meal [NORTH 26-Jun-2008] SEVENTY-FOUR pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Kechil Hilir, Bandar Baru near Kulim, Kedah, were rushed to the Sungai Bakap Hospital in Nibong Tebal yesterday after they were suspected of suffering from food poisoning.

8. Canteen food costlier now [NATION 14-Jun-2008] Pupils in some schools here have not been spared from spiralling prices – food in the canteen now cost between 10 sen and 30 sen more a plate.

PLEASE ACT NOW BEFORE THOSE UNGRATEFUL CONTRACTORS SWALLOW THE POOR FAMILIES' MONIES