Denial of hungry students reveals our ignorance

The issue of students going hungry was one of the most talked topics last week.

It all originated from a survey conducted by the Muslim Volunteer Malaysia Association where the findings shown more than half of the 25,632 students from six public universities in Malaysia are unable to afford a single meal a day due to the rising cost of living.

On a similar issue, local Malay daily Harian Metro reported that a Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) student had ruptured her intestines due to her inability to afford proper food. 

Once the news broke out, it attracted many debates. Some brushed away the survey and deemed it to be too exaggerating, while some concur with the survey findings.

What’s interesting is the contradicting reactions between the student bodies and the universities’ management.

The immediate reaction from the student bodies is to assist the students through various food programmes.

One example is the “Project Suspended Meals 2.0” by the student council of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

Under the name, “Coupon for the Needy”, meal coupons system were also introduced for students in the Universiti Malaya (UM) in a collaborative effort between the Muslim Undergraduates Association and the Darul Hijrah Foundation.

As for some of the universities’ management, the immediate reaction was to question the accuracy of the said survey and brush away the findings. 

Hungry students are one issue that we do not highlight in the past but it can happen anywhere.

For example, a national survey conducted in San Diego recently revealed a surprising number of community college students who cannot afford food and do not have a steady place to live. In the case of San Diego schools, the issue has extended to housing insecurity. One example is the inability to pay rent or utilities on time.

Seeing students struggling in universities due to lack of finances, even to eat, is nothing new. With the rising cost of living, it is a real problem.

Some have played down the survey as if the issue of hungry students is not possible. For instance, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said the reports of university students struggling to buy food could have been sensationalised.

Most students have a stigma when it comes to seeking help for food. Based on the reactions to the survey, I can totally understand why it is so.

Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh promised that no student would go hungry under his watch. He suggested that students have various options and avenues, including university welfare groups and part-time jobs.

While I am a strong supporter for students getting part-time jobs or freelancing while studying, the hungry students issue that we face is not as simple as that.

Many deemed that the issue can be resolved, and that the students are merely exaggerating.

I do agree that the survey findings depend on who are the respondents, the demographic and so forth. I do not have the details of the survey but it is important to address the types of students who struggle with the lack of food?

One type could be students who come from low-income families. In their case, hunger and poverty is a pre-existing condition. So, they struggle to support themselves while studying.

The other type could probably be those who were in the lower-middle class. After some time, especially for those who study in the city, the unexpected rise in the cost of living might have affected them to the extent of having to skip meals. Logically, in between rent and food, which will you choose?

We also need to understand that the hunger issue among students is closely related to food insecurity. Some of them might be able to survive with instant noodles, but it is still a problem of food insecurity simply because there is a lack of access to healthy food.

It is a fact that the rising cost of living is getting unbearable not just for the students but many others as well.

It should not be that surprising to accept that some students indeed do not have enough money for proper food. It is just probably something that many of us did not ever think of.

The revelation last week came as a form of wake-up call for all of us.

This revelation is noteworthy in large part because it reveals the ugly truth that, we do not associate hunger issues with students.

There are various forms of "no student hungry" or "no child hungry" programmes around the world. In the University of Massachusetts for example, several programmes are in place to assist homeless or hungry students because they acknowledged the issue.

Being hungry inhibits learning. More must be done to identify and deal with the problem of on-campus hunger, rather than treating it as “someone else’s problem”. – January 18, 2016.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.