An opposing member of parliament claimed there was no issue with the “Rahmah” brand that the government had created, while simultaneously making a connection between the food’s quality and potential health dangers.
Linking Menu Rahmah to autism
Dr. Halimah Ali (PN-Kapar) believes that the preparation of inexpensive food shouldn’t result in the less fortunate receiving subpar meals.
The PAS politician explained that, as a doctor, she is concerned about the food security issue, which is currently urgent and, in her opinion, is perplexing the government.
“We don’t want to cut corners or settle for a supply of food of poor quality,” Dr. Halimah claimed.
“I have no objection against Menu Rahmah, but it does not mean this is a possibility to provide those who fall in the B40 category with low-quality food supplies that may cause them to be exposed to cancer, autoimmune disease, autism and so on,” the former Selangor exco said yesterday at a speech debating the royal order.
Netizens confused
Some quotes from her speech has since gone viral on the internet today because some netizens believed Halimah had made a mistake when she connected food with autism after making that claim.
A Member of Bandar Kuching’s Parliament, Dr. Kelvin Yii, asked Dr. Halimah to clarify her point in response to her statement on Twitter.
Sebagai Dr perubatan, saya nak tanya, makanan apakah yang dimakan boleh mengakibatkan autisme?
— Kelvin yii (@Kelvinyii88) February 15, 2023
Tolong jelaskan.. https://t.co/0wevEgHEcY
Twitter users who commented on Yii’s tweet mentioned how shocked they were by Halimah’s accusations.
However, there were one or two people who defended the doctor’s case.
What is Menu Rahmah?
The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) launched the Menu Rahmah project to assist those who are less fortunate in obtaining proper meals for a maximum of RM5.
It includes meals that are made with rice-based carbohydrates, proteins like chicken or fish, and vegetables.
It was debuted by KPDN (Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Kos Sara Hidup) on Jan 31 this year.
The ministry claims that approximately 15,000 restaurants around the country are offering lunch and dinner for RM5 as part of Menu Rahmah.
It also has the support of stakeholders in the food business, such as the Malaysian Tomyam Operators Association, the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Operators Association (Primas), and the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Operators Association (Presma).
