Saturday July 5, 2008
No milk for 700,000 students
JOHOR BARU: About 700,000 students nationwide will not be enjoying milk under the school nutrition programme this year as the ban enforced in August last year is still on.
Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong said the ban would not be lifted until the Health Ministry gives its approval for the scheme to resume.
“Since it is already July, it would be impossible for each student to consume 45 packets of milk by the end of the year under the programme,” he said.
He added that tests were being done to cover the various aspects of the manufacturing and transporting process including the factory, the storage facility and the method used to deliver the milk to schools.
“September will be the fasting month and examinations will be in October and students only attend one to two weeks’ classes in November.
School project: Lim (second from right) showing Dr Wee (fourth from left) the land allocated on the plan for SJK (C) Pei Hwa 2 in Johor Baru yesterday. Also present is Pengkalan Rinting assemblyman Chia Song Cheng (third from left). “There is also a Hari Raya break in October,” he said when pointing out the reasons that it was impossible to give the subsidy this year.
He added that the subsidy, which costs the government RM25mil annually, benefited about 700,000 students nationwide.
The ban was imposed after dozens of students fell ill after consuming the milk.
Dr Wee was speaking to reporters after attending a discussion with the Danga Bay Sdn Bhd CEO Datuk Lim Kang Hoo on the piece of land allocated for the construction of SJK (C) Pei Hwa 2.
Dr Wee said both parties had reached an agreement to use a 2.83ha of land beside SMK Taman Sutera for the purpose.
“The minimum land requirement is two hectares and we hope that with a bigger piece of land, we can provide more recreational facilities for the students,” he said.
He said this school is one of the six Chinese schools approved by the Government this year.
“The other five will be in Selangor,” he said.
He also said that Johor Baru would have 27 Chinese schools by 2012.
Dr Wee also warned school canteen operators not to cut down on their food quantity to maintain the price of food.
“The operators have to charge according to the contracts signed at the beginning of the year and any move to reduce the quantity will be considered as contravening the agreement.”
He added that the ministry might consider lowering rentals to lighten the burden of the canteen operators.
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