KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad today disputed Malaysia’s 24 per cent childhood stunting rate in 2024 as merely an “estimate” from global organisations.
He said the 24 per cent childhood stunting rate among children younger than five years old was an estimate from a 2025 Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates report by the World Health Organization (WHO), Unicef, and the World Bank.
Dzulkefly highlighted instead the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022 that reported the prevalence of childhood stunting in Malaysia at 21.2 per cent, a decline of 0.6 percentage points from 21.8 per cent in 2019.
“And we estimate that it will continue to drop in 2026,” Dzulkefly told the Dewan Rakyat during his winding-up speech on the debate on the motion of thanks on the royal address.
“That is based on our own data that we study from the National Health and Morbidity Survey.”
According to data organisation Our World in Data, Malaysia’s childhood stunting rate increased from 19.3 per cent in 2000 to 24.3 per cent in 2024. Malaysia’s 2024 rate was higher than poorer neighbouring countries like Indonesia (22.6 per cent), Cambodia (22 per cent), Vietnam (19.2 per cent), and Thailand (12.3 per cent).
Our World in Data reported Malaysia’s prevalence of stunted children at 21.2 per cent in 2019, before worsening to 23 per cent in 2022 – different figures from those cited by the health minister.
Our World in Data reported annual increases in childhood stunting in Malaysia from 2012 to 2024, compared to sustained declines over the past two decades in poorer neighboring countries. Singapore’s childhood stunting prevalence has remained very low, dropping further from 4.4 per cent in 2000 to 2.8 per cent in 2024.
Dzulkefly cited the government’s First 1,000 Days of Life programme since 2019 that he said was supported by scientific evidence, including studies by The Lancet and reports by the WHO and Unicef, “that confirm that the first 1,000 days is a critical phase of growth, brain development, and long-term health for children”.
“We’re training Early Childhood Education Institution (IPAK) operators, including taska and tadika teachers, as well as parents — every year using the Food Preparation Module. This aims to enhance their capacity to prepare nutritious meals and to provide a better understanding of healthy eating practices,” added the health minister.
Dr Halimah Ali (PN-Kapar) called for government subsidies for formula milk for infants’ first 1,000 days to curb childhood stunting, noting that the MOH prioritises breastfeeding over formula milk.
“Of course we want that, but in reality, there are sick or anaemic mothers, who don’t have enough milk,” she said during an intervention.
Mumtaz Md Nawi (PN-Tumpat) noted that after breastfeeding for two years, children aged two to six years only rely on formula milk.
“So I ask the Minister to set up a special committee to look at the needs for formula milk for children after 1,000 days. This requires specific interventions from price and quality,” she told the House.
“When we talk about RMT (Supplementary Food Programme) at preschools, actually preschools or taska are unable to provide milk at today’s prices.”
