SHAH ALAM – Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) deputy minister Datuk Rasol bin Wahid calls for Malaysians to prioritise local products first when purchasing goods.
KPDNHEP and Lotus’s joined hands and launched the fifth Buy Malaysia Campaign at Lotus's Shah Alam where booths with a range of local products were put on display.
Rasol said the main objective of this campaign was not only to promote local products but also to enable small and middle-sized enterprises (SMEs) to flourish in their business by providing opportunities for them to enter the market of big supermarkets like Lotus’s.
"We do this, so these small businesses gain more exposure,” he said.
Rasol added the campaign was also a platform for the SMEs to promote Halal products and he was confident that Halal products would not just appeal to the Muslim market but also to the non-Muslim market.
He also said this campaign would be a good opportunity for Malaysians to access more local products.
When probed on issues with the rising price of goods, he said the government had provided subsidies for essential products like cooking oil, sugar and many others to aid the people.
For KPDNHEP’s expectation from Budget 2023, he hoped that the government would allocate more for the franchise industry because he viewed it as a promising industry, especially after seeing it rise after Covid-19.
He said the government had allocated RM4 million to the franchise industry.
"If the government does not increase the allocation, I hope at least they will maintain it,” he told reporters after the launching ceremony of the fifth Buy Malaysia Campaign.
He also noted that Malaysia would soon enter the monsoon season and urged Malaysians who will donate relief supplies to flood victims to distribute local products first.
"There are a lot of local products available like food, clothing, electronic appliances and so on,” he said.
He also said that if Malaysians were to take this initiative, it would boost the business of local factories producing local products.