KOTA KINABALU - Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said that as of today a total of 1,531 business premises have registered to implement the Menu Rahmah initiative nationwide and the number is expected to continue to increase from time to time.
He said out of the total, 105 food premises in Sabah have participated in the initiative including a hotel in Sandakan which is the first hotel in the country to offer an accommodation package with Rahmah prices throughout the Ramadan month.
"Hence, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry is calling on more industry players, especially restaurants, food and retail industry in Sabah, to work together with the government to achieve this aspiration to lessen the people's cost of living,” he said after launching the Menu Rahmah at the BTC Bistro in Inanam here today.
Salahuddin said Menu Rahmah is the government's latest initiative that has gone viral in helping and reducing the cost of living for the people, especially those in need to get balanced meals at a price of RM5 and below.
"The Menu Rahmah is a voluntary initiative of private entities where the government does not determine the price, implementation method, ingredients, and side dishes for the Menu Rahmah offered, as long as it is a balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates and fibre.
"Based on feedback from participating traders, Menu Rahmah has been a crowd-puller business model to attract customers to their premises.
"Therefore, their income can be increased through the number of sales that can accommodate the reduction in margins and at the same time help those in need,” he added.
In that regard, he said the government is always committed to helping promote premises that provide Menu Rahmah.
He added that Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has created a portal to enable the public to get information on the location of nearby Menu Rahmah premises, and traders can also register their participation by visiting https://menurahmah.kpdn.gov.my.
Meanwhile, Salahuddin said ahead of the celebration of the month of Ramadan, the Ministry's enforcement officers will be assigned to strategic locations such as public markets, farmers' markets and shopping centres to monitor daily essentials.
He said Sabah Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has appointed 170 DDR (Dedicated District Retailers) and 89 DDW (Dedicated District Wholesalers) throughout Sabah for the purpose of monitoring the supply of basic necessities in the state.- BERNAMA