Kapar member of parliament (MP) Dr Halimah Ali came under fire this week over her statement about Mydin Malaysia’s Menu Rahmah initiative. She proclaimed that the food may cause cancer and autism. Needless to say, her comment didn’t sit well with many people.
For those in the dark, the Menu Rahmah meal programme was launched back on 31st January. Through the initiative, Malaysians can enjoy meals for as low as RM4.90 at selected restaurants. While the Menu Rahmah programme received generally favourable responses from the public, the PAS politician later came forward to air her concerns surrounding the quality of the food.
@fareast1991 MP PN Dr Halimah kata menu rahmah low quality dan boleh menyebabkkan autisme? sungguh membingungkan #dewanrakyat #parlimen #mp #pn #ph #kerajaanperpaduan #fyp #menurahmah #autisme
“Food is a basic necessity. Therefore, as a Doctor of Medicine, I don’t want low-quality food to threaten the health and safety of the public. As much as I support the Menu Rahmah initiative, I don’t want the B40 group to be exposed to the diseases like cancer, autoimmune diseases and autism,” Dr. Halimah said during a parliament session yesterday (Thursday, 16th February).
Her statement also caught the attention of Mydin’s CEO Dr. Ameer Ali Mydin. “It’s very wrong for her to assume that the sellers will give low-quality food because we are selling at a cheaper price,” he told Malaysiakini. He also explained that the business would never serve low-quality food. According to him, this would harm the reputation of the business, and will have a long-term negative effect on them.
Meanwhile, the official social media account of Mydin also came forward to shed some light on the matter. They tweeted, “Our Menu Rahmah meal has balanced and complete nutrients that the body needs.” As seen in the photo shared on Twitter, the meal set contains carbohydrate, vitamin and also protein.
Menu Rahmah kami mempunyai gizi yang seimbang dan lengkap dengan nutrisi yang diperlukan badan. pic.twitter.com/Pc73BVTeWf
— MYDIN (@MydinMalaysia) February 16, 2023
Hopefully the explanation helps.
Sources: Syor, Malaysiakini, Twitter.
