Medan – The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program is considered to have demonstrated a real positive impact, benefiting tens of millions of students across various regions. Muhammadiyah reaffirmed its support for the program at the inauguration of Phase 3 of the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) at Campus IV of the University of Muhammadiyah North Sumatra (UMSU) in Medan.
The Secretary General of the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership who is also the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. Abdul Mu’ti, emphasized that support for MBG is not just a statement, but has been realized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding with BGN at the momentum of the Muhammadiyah Tanwir in Kupang.
According to him, this commitment is in line with Muhammadiyah’s principles in preparing a generation that is strong intellectually and physically.
“The nutritious meal program is an effort to prepare human qualities from an early age, so that children and the community have a strong foundation for learning, growing, and contributing,” he emphasized.
Prof. Abdul Mu’ti linked the direction of MBG with the Islamic concept of bastatan fil ‘ilmi wal jism, namely the superiority of knowledge and physical strength that go hand in hand.
He referred to the story of Thalut who was deemed worthy of leading not because of material factors, but rather physical strength and intellectual wisdom.
“Modern interpretations state that a great trust requires physical and spiritual strength guided by faith, knowledge, and systematic educational efforts. Today’s contextualization places knowledge as all beneficial knowledge, and jism as health, fitness, mental resilience, and life skills,” explained Mu’ti.
According to him, the framework positions MBG not merely as a nutritional program, but as a gateway to character development and strengthening human resources. A strong generation needs healthy bodies so that knowledge can develop and be translated into practical work.
Prof. Abdul Mu’ti also presented a book entitled “Free Nutritious Meals from an Islamic and Educational Perspective” to the figures present, as part of strengthening references to ideas and public narratives regarding the importance of nutrition and character education in preparing a strong generation of Indonesians towards Golden Indonesia 2045. #