ATLAS Vending Debuts ‘Nutri-Aid’ as a Tech-Driven Solution to Combat Nutritional Inequality in Malaysian Schools 

Leveraging smart vending technology and Goodday Charge milk to provide targeted, automated nutritional support for underprivileged students nationwide. 

[From Left to Right] Official Group Photo of VIPs: Suet Ching Teh, Head of Commercial, Etika Sdn Bhd.; Tuan Haji Yusaini bin Salleh, Timbalan Pengarah Sektor Pembangunan Murid, Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Selangor; Hemalatha Ragavan, CEO of Etika & International Exports; Yang 

Berbahagia Puan Sri Datin Paduka Thamayanthi Devi Ampikaipakan, Board of Trustee, Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor; Muhammad Syazwan Bin Mohd Daut, Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor; and Amy Gan, Vice President, Marketing, Etika Sdn Bhd

In conjunction with World Milk Day, ATLAS Vending, the vending arm of Etika Sdn Bhd, has today unveiled ATLAS Nutri Aid at the Goodday Milk Factory in Petaling Jaya.

Launched in collaboration with the Selangor State Education Department and Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor (YRMS), this CSR initiative aims to combat nutritional inequalities among

underprivileged primary school students. 

ATLAS Nutri Aid leverages smart vending technology to provide consistent, daily access to free, high-quality milk for underprivileged students. For many children in Malaysia’s B40 communities, access to daily nutrition remains a quiet but critical challenge.

This initiative ensures that essential dairy nourishment is not only available, but reliably accessible within school and community environments. 

The official launch follows a successful pilot program at selected schools, which saw high student engagement and improved transactional consistency. Following these results, the program will scale with the rollout of 10 ATLAS Nutri Aid vending machines across selected schools. 

The initiative is supported by YRMS, which plays a key role in funding, community coordination, and identifying eligible beneficiaries, ensuring that the programme reaches children who need it most. 

ATLAS Nutri Aid is rooted in a commitment to addressing the complex health challenges facing Malaysia’s youth, particularly the persistent “hidden hunger” and worsening stunting crisis.

Unlike neighbouring countries that have made progress since 2000, Malaysia’s childhood stunting has continued to rise, reaching 24% in 2024—surpassing Indonesia (23%), Cambodia (22%), Vietnam (19%), Thailand (12%), and Singapore (3%). This underscores a critical public health concern, further compounded by findings from the SEANUTS II study, which show 

that over 70% of children do not meet the recommended daily intake for Calcium and Vitamin D. 

With the rising cost of living, many B40 families face significant hurdles in providing balanced meals, with child hunger prevalence recorded as high as 58.4% in certain urban low-income areas.

ATLAS Nutri Aid addresses this by supplying vending machines with free Goodday Charge Milk, a milk brand under the Etika portfolio specifically formulated to boost energy, support bone health, and improve cognitive function with 10 essential nutrients working together for growing children to thrive both physically and mentally.

Welcome Address given by Hemalatha Ragavan, CEO of Etika & International Exports, during the ATLAS Nutri Aid Official Launch 

“For many families, providing daily nutrition is not always guaranteed and that should never be a barrier to a child’s growth,” said Hemalatha Ragavan, CEO of Etika & International Exports. “With ATLAS Nutri Aid, we are ensuring that every child has access to something as fundamental as milk, every single school day.

By combining technology with purpose, we are able to deliver nutrition in a way that is consistent, dignified and impactful. This will support better school attendance so our future generation do not miss out on their lessons and opportunities to learn.” 

Expanding on the Hygiene Aid framework, ATLAS Nutri Aid leverages proprietary smart vending machines and a seamless “tap-and-go” card system to provide students with targeted, transparent access to daily nutrition.

By synchronizing the cards with the school calendar, the system ensures consistent delivery during school days while preventing misuse and distribution leakage. This data-driven mechanism allows ATLAS Vending to monitor impact effectively, while offering children a dignified and independent experience.

Special Address given by Muhammad Syazwan Bin Mohd Daut, Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor at the ATLAS Nutri Aid Official Launch 

Muhammad Syazwan Bin Mohd Daut, Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor (YRMS) added, “Our mission at YRMS has always been about nurturing the potential of our youth. Proper nutrition is the very foundation of a child’s ability to learn, focus, and thrive in school.

Through ATLAS Nutri Aid, we aren’t just providing daily nourishment, we are removing a critical barrier to education, giving these children the energy and opportunity they deserve to achieve their dreams.” 

The ATLAS Nutri Aid initiative underscores a long-term commitment to improving classroom concentration and physical development for the next generation.

By providing a dependable source of nutrition, the program helps close critical gaps in child health while supporting underserved families facing economic pressures. At its core, ATLAS Nutri Aid is built on a simple belief that every child deserves the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive, starting with proper nutrition.