Kuala Lumpur: A parliamentary committee has raised concerns over the government’s continued spending on sugar subsidies, even as essential nutritious foods like milk remain outside price support measures, CodeBlue reported.
In a 151-page report tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children and Community Development highlighted that about RM500 million is allocated each year for sugar subsidies and incentives. The support effectively keeps refined sugar prices at around RM1.00 per kilogram, among the lowest globally.
The committee, chaired by Yeo Bee Yin, noted that while sugar continues to receive financial backing, there is no similar subsidy framework for milk, despite its importance in child nutrition.
According to the report, this reflects a gap between policies aimed at addressing child stunting and existing pricing and subsidy measures. Nutritious foods such as milk and eggs are not adequately covered under current assistance schemes, it said.
The committee urged the Ministry of Finance Malaysia to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Malaysia, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living and the Ministry of Health Malaysia to review the current approach and consider a targeted subsidy mechanism for milk to better support children’s nutritional needs.
