AMPG Lumajang Urges Continuation of Free Nutritious Meal Programme with Improved Governance

The Lumajang Nutrition Concerned Community Alliance (AMPG) in Lumajang Regency, East Java, has urged the government to continue the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme with improved governance, staging a peaceful rally at the local parliament building on Monday. “The MBG programme has a noble purpose and has delivered real impact within the community. However, a number of technical issues on the ground still need to be addressed so that its implementation can run more effectively and measurably,” said action coordinator Novi Sanjaya at the Lumajang DPRD. He noted that there is currently no uniform menu guideline, leading each region to interpret menu standards and nutritional requirements differently. “There needs to be a national menu bank. The current problem is the absence of a truly standardised benchmark from the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), both for the menu and its nutritional content, resulting in many interpretations in the field,” he said. Sanjaya emphasised that the programme is not solely about providing nutritious food for children. “There are thousands of families whose economies are moving because of MBG, so we are asking the government to improve its governance without killing the economic impact already felt by the community,” he stated. Meanwhile, Lumajang DPRD Chairperson Oktafiyani said the council would collect and forward these aspirations to the government and the BGN in accordance with applicable procedures. The protest proceeded in an orderly and peaceful manner under the supervision of security forces. After conveying their aspirations and submitting a number of recommendations to the Lumajang DPRD, the crowd dispersed peacefully. Representatives of the protesters also handed over an integrity pact document to the Lumajang DPRD as part of their written submission to be forwarded to the relevant authorities.