'I didn't even say Menu Rahmah' - Halimah rails against media

Kapar MP Halimah Ali now denies her controversial remarks linking low-quality food to cancer and autism were about the government's Menu Rahmah initiative at all.

She accused Malaysiakini and its video arm KiniTV of creating misconception, and stressed that she had never said the word "Menu Rahmah" in the first place.

"Why is it that you said that I said 'Menu Rahmah causes cancer'? I didn't even say Menu Rahmah!

"There is no mention of Menu Rahmah," she told Malaysiakini when met in the Parliament lobby today.

When the journalist tried to point out to her that she had referred to the programme in her speech - as per the Hansard - the PAS lawmaker doubled down on her denial.

"But there is no (mention of) 'Menu Rahmah'. Read it (the Hansard) word by word," she told Malaysiakini.

"You (Malaysiakini and KiniTV) are the ones causing all this wrong perception," she added.

Her denial came when Malaysiakini attempted to ask her about Bandar Kuching MP Kelvin Yii's attempt to refer her to the Dewan Rakyat's Rights and Privileges Committee over her remarks.

Yesterday, Halimah (above) denied that she had said Menu Rahmah causes cancer, and used the Hansard as a shield.

The Hansard - the official transcript of the on-goings in Dewan Rakyat - found Halimah's remarks on the food issue as follows:

"I want to talk about food security. These are basic needs. We don't want- I as a medical doctor, fear that when food security is desperate, it can bewilder the government.

"We don't want shortcuts; we don't want compromises from the supply of low-quality food.

"I have no problem with the term 'rahmah' or such, but don't let it reach a point where the poor B40 are given low-quality food supply that may also cause them to be exposed to cancer, autoimmune diseases, autism, and such".

Come under fire

While Halimah now denies she was speaking about Menu Rahmah, her remarks on the use of the term "rahmah", and "low- quality food" strongly implied otherwise.

The Menu Rahmah programme was introduced by the government in January as an effort to tackle the rising cost of living.

Under the initiative, eateries and businesses would provide meals at RM5 and below.

Mydin, one of those partaking in the programme, has denied that the cheap prices meant the food was of low quality.

Halimah had come under fire for her remarks after critics accused her of linking food quality to autism.

Halimah later said on Thursday that she did not mean to say that eating low-quality food could lead to a developmental disorder like autism. - Mkini