Jakarta, Jan. 26 -- Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency said on Monday schools and students are not being forced to join the government's Free Nutritious Meals programme, as officials seek to expand coverage of one of President Prabowo Subianto's flagship social policies.

"If there are schools that do not want to join the programme, for example because their students come from wealthy families, that is fine," BGN Deputy Head for Public Communication and Investigation Nanik Sudaryati Deyang said in a statement.

Her comments followed complaints from the head of a Nutritional Fulfilment Service Unit, or MBG kitchen, who said it was difficult to increase the number of beneficiaries because several elite schools with thousands of students ...