Higher Education Ministry Introduces RM3.50 Menu Siswa Rahmah For B40 University Students
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the initiative will benefit up to 320,000 students.
By May Vin Ang — 17 Mar 2023, 05:06 PM
The Ministry of Higher Education has introduced the Menu Siswa Rahmah initiative, making meals priced at RM3.50 available at 20 public universities and polytechnics nationwide
According to New Straits Times, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the initiative will benefit up to 320,000 students from the B40 income group.
"I would like to state that the ministry has received commitment from 20 public universities and polytechnics involving a total of 235 stalls to provide meals at RM3.50," he said at the launch of the initiative at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) on Thursday, 16 March.
"The initiative and participation of the vendors to support programmes such as Menu Siswa Rahmah will help undergraduates deal with the high cost of living," he said.
The minister was inspecting the implementation of the programme at UKM and also took time to enjoy lunch with the students there
Photos posted by the ministry on Facebook show Khaled eating at the Randau Rasa cafeteria on campus.
He also told reporters that the initiative was made possible as public universities do not charge stall rental costs to traders.
Stall rentals cost about RM3 million a year at public universities and about RM700,000 a year at polytechnics.
"By not charging rent, the price of food can be reduced and the food provided can be sold to students for only RM3.50," said Khaled.
However, he added, public universities and polytechnics will still provide Menu Rahmah meals priced at RM5 for those who can afford it
He said the ministry will always support and try to help poor students, especially those in the B40 category, so that their studies are not affected by the hardships faced by their families.
