In a meeting with the National Civil Service Agency, the House of Representatives Criticized Netizens For Misrepresenting MBG as "Free Poisoned Food."

JAKARTA - Charles Honoris, Deputy Chairman of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) from the PDIP Party faction, has addressed public criticism on social media regarding the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG), which has resulted in thousands of children experiencing mass food poisoning in the past two months.

This includes the misnomer of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) as 'Free Poisonous Meals' or 'Free Maggot Meals'. He also links food poisoning to the background of the Head of the National Agency for National Development (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, as an entomologist, which is considered unrelated to nutritional issues.

According to Honoris, such incidents illustrate the public's distrust of this noble program initiated by President Prabowo Subianto. Furthermore, Honoris noted that netizens have called for the MBG program to be rejected for fear of food poisoning in their families.

"I think we all have social media. If we open social media these days, there's a lot of content circulating, including calls to reject MBG. This is very, very sad for me," said Charles during a working meeting of Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) with the Head of the National Development Planning Agency (BGN), the Minister of Health, and the Head of the Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday, October 1.

"We want this program to succeed, but if this is allowed to continue, even without negative campaigning, the public may be afraid to allow their children to consume MBG," he continued.

According to Charles, the public's perception of the MBG on social media is very sad. Even with a sarcastic tone, some people have finally accepted the high number of poisoning cases because the head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BGN) is an entomologist.

"Many of the content, sir, is funny. The MBG is now being misrepresented as not free nutritious food but free poisonous food, free maggots, especially dangerous food, and so on. This is quite popular, sir. Now, photos are circulating on social media with captions saying the head of the BGN is an entomologist, that's why there are maggots in the MBG rice, which is funny," said Charles.

"But this is sad, I'm sad to see this," he added.

Therefore, Charles asked the Head of the BGN to take steps to restore public trust in the implementation of the MBG program.

"So, there must be major changes, major steps must be taken to restore public trust in the MBG program," he concluded.