Education minister Radzi Jidin said the matter required detailed study as it had huge financial implications.

As such, his ministry was in the process of preparing the papers to be taken to the final stage.

“We need to prepare the papers to be taken to the Cabinet’s attention. We must remember this matter requires a bit of time because it has huge financial implications,” he said after attending an event at Zoo Negara today.

He said the study would also take into account the challenges posed by rising costs.

Earlier, the health ministry had proposed that the payment for school meals for primary school pupils be raised to RM4 in Peninsular Malaysia and RM5 in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

Health minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said the education ministry’s current allocation of RM2.50 per pupil in the peninsula and RM3 in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan was insufficient to cover the cost of raw materials.

On the issue of abandoned teachers’ quarters, Radzi said this was due to their “non-strategic location” and a lack of demand.

“This is an issue of legacy that has long existed and we are looking for ways to resolve it,” he said.