KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — The Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Women, Children and Community Development has called for a targeted milk subsidy for children, amid continued government spending annually on sugar subsidies.
In a 151-page report that was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, the PSSC, chaired by Yeo Bee Yin (PH-Puchong), pointed to the absence of subsidies for milk, compared to about RM500 million in annual subsidies and incentives for sugar – equivalent to roughly RM1.00 per kilogram of refined sugar to keep domestic prices among the lowest globally.
“There is a misalignment between the objective of addressing child stunting and existing policies on pricing, subsidies, and food assistance, as nutritious foods such as eggs and milk are not optimally accessible through current assistance schemes,” said the Women, Children and Community Development PSSC.
“The issue of milk as a basic food for children under five is not being comprehensively addressed due to the absence of price controls or subsidies, even though milk is identified as a critical factor in preventing stunting.”
The Women, Children and Community Development PSSC urged the Ministry of Finance to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to design a “targeted subsidy mechanism for milk” to ensure adequate intake among children.
National Action Council on Cost of Living (Naccol) data published in the PSSC’s report showed that price comparisons for selected infant and children’s milk products indicate an overall stable trend, with small and mixed changes across brands.
For infant and children’s milk powder, some products recorded marginal declines, such as Dumex Dupro 3 850g, which fell 1.40 per cent from RM27.24 in January 2025 to RM26.86 in January 2026.
Others showed minimal changes of around 0.1 per cent, including Dumex Dupro 2 850g, which decreased slightly from RM29.64 to RM29.61, as well as Lactogen 1 and Lactogen 2 650g, which decreased to RM28.83 and RM28.82 respectively.
At the same time, several products recorded increases, with Dutch Lady 123 850g rising from RM24.52 to RM25.26 (+3.02 per cent), and Dutch Lady 456 850g increasing from RM24.52 to RM25.20 (+2.77 per cent).
Meanwhile, for instant milk powder, prices show minimal overall movement, with some variation across brands. For example, Dutch Lady instant milk powder 600g increased slightly from RM19.90 to RM19.92 (+0.1 per cent), while Everyday instant milk powder 500g decreased from RM20.03 to RM18.75 (-6.4 per cent).
For ready-to-drink milk, prices show similarly small and mixed changes across products, with no clear overall trend. Dutch Lady fresh milk 1L decreased from RM8.84 to RM8.61 (-2.6 per cent), while Marigold HL milk 946ml increased from RM8.28 to RM8.46 (+2.2 per cent). Farm Fresh kurma milk 700ml remained largely stable, increasing slightly from RM9.17 to RM9.21 (+0.4 per cent).
While prices are broadly stable, the committee noted that prices of several key nutritious food items, including milk, have increased in a way that continues to pressure consumers, with limited policy action to address the issue.
The PSSC noted that while there are no existing statistics on milk intake among children in Malaysia, the MOH said the recommended intake for children aged two to five is about 500 millilitres per day (two to three glasses).
Malaysia’s childhood stunting rate has worsened over the past two decades, rising from 19 per cent in 2000 to 24 per cent in 2024 among children under five.
Data from global research non-profit Our World in Data shows Malaysia’s stunting rate at 24.3 per cent in 2024, higher than Indonesia (22.6 per cent), Cambodia (22 per cent), Vietnam (19.2 per cent), and Thailand (12.3 per cent).
“Stunting is no longer confined to poverty or rural areas alone, but is closely linked to modern lifestyle patterns,” the PSSC report stated.
Milk recorded a self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) of 66.7 per cent in 2024, up from 56.7 per cent in 2021, indicating a moderately strong level of domestic supply. However, the commodity still relies on imports to meet shortfalls, although local production is able to fulfil a substantial share of demand.
