Armizan (centre) touring the exhibition held in conjunction with the Food Bank Malaysia Convention on Dec 8. – BERNAMApic
BANGI: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry aims to launch the National Food Bank Action Plan 2026-2030 early next year to enhance food aid and strengthen the social safety net ecosystem.
Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the five-year action plan, currently in its initial preparation phase, would be developed based on findings from the two-day Food Bank Malaysia Convention 2025 which started on Monday (Dec 8).
He said that the draft action plan would draw on the findings, feedback and suggestions gathered from discussions with various stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), industry players, retailers, hotel chains and government agencies.
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"Based on the outcomes of this convention, we aim to hold a follow-up engagement session as soon as possible.
"Our target is to come out with the National Food Bank Action Plan 2026-2030 as early as next year, as it is an important document that sets the direction, outlines achievement targets, and provides a comprehensive implementation framework," he told reporters after opening the convention here.
Armizan said that the plan should define clear objectives, set five-year achievement targets, and identify communities that had yet to receive assistance, particularly in areas beyond the reach of existing NGOs.
He added that although many NGOs had been running food bank initiatives for more than two decades, a government-integrated approach was crucial to ensure effectiveness, uniform standards, proper regulation and stronger incentive support.
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"In the engagement session, some NGOs proposed that equipment assistance be provided or that tax incentives be considered.
"For me, any application to the government should be accompanied by complete documents showing the programme’s effectiveness, its future potential, and how it aligns with the government’s major agenda," he said.
He added that the ministry aimed to ensure that the transformation of the food bank programme from next year focused on two key aspects, namely sustainability and food security.
In addition, it will reinforce food banks as initiatives that help to ease the cost of living, driven by unity and collective responsibility.
Armizan also said that the implementation should be in line with Malaysia’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 12.3, which aims to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030, while also supporting the environmental sustainability and public well-being objectives of the 13th Malaysia Plan.
"I believe that if this initiative is aligned with the government’s key agenda and properly documented, the central agency will give it due attention, given that it also benefits the less fortunate," he said.
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The ministry's inaugural Food Bank Malaysia Convention brought together over 1,000 participants, including government agencies, food industry players, retailers, hotel chains, NGOs, community volunteers, and eight key strategic partners of food banks nationwide.
Since its inception in 2019, the Malaysian Food Bank Programme, overseen by the ministry's Food Bank Secretariat, has benefitted 1,164,932 households and 51,200 students, while also saving 6,511 tonnes of surplus food through the food rescue initiative.
Armizan said a comprehensive transformation was needed to ensure the food bank programme remained relevant, more organised and capable of delivering a greater impact in line with current needs.
"With this national action plan, we are confident that the initiative can be mobilised more effectively through a whole-of-nation approach, rather than in isolation," he said. – Bernama
