Zulhas Requests Acceleration of MBG Distribution in Religious Schools

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, or Zulhas, has spotlighted the wide disparity in the distribution of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme between public schools and those based on religion. He revealed that the programme’s reach for religious educational institutions remains at a very low level. “I am working hard to ensure that religious-based schools, whether MAN, Tsanawiyah, or pondok pesantren, can receive this MBG more quickly,” Zulhas said during a visit to Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) 1 Yogyakarta on Thursday, 16 April 2026. Based on statistical data he obtained, Zulhas stated that the coverage of MBG distribution in public schools has now exceeded 80%. This contrasts sharply with religious-based schools such as Madrasah Aliyah, Tsanawiyah, and Pondok Pesantren, which only reach 15 to 20%. Zulhas stressed that the government will not allow this disparity to continue, as it is deemed unfair to students in religious education environments. He added that the steps to be taken include introducing a special service scheme to cut bureaucratic and logistical hurdles so that the programme can be distributed evenly as soon as possible. “Therefore, we want to accelerate so that pondok and other religious-based schools can also get the same rights as public schools,” he said. In addition to highlighting the distribution issue, Zulhas directly monitored the quality of the menu served to students at MAN 1 Yogyakarta. According to him, the distributed menu meets complete nutritional standards, from the availability of fibre, protein, to carbohydrates in one portion. “It’s excellent that there are eggs, crackers, fried rice, fruit, vegetables. So fibre, protein, carbohydrates are all complete,” Zulhas remarked. The Head of MAN 1 Yogyakarta, Edy Triyanto, explained that 845 of his students have received the MBG programme since October 2025. According to him, the implementation time in each school varies greatly depending on the readiness of the Free Meals Service Unit (SPPG) in each region. “Alhamdulillah, here we have been receiving MBG since October 2025, while for MTs it started in January because it aligns with the readiness of the nearest SPPG,” he said.