Touch-point sale carnival a big hit among city dwellers

KUCHING: The touch-point sale carnival ‘Jualan Sentuhan Rakyat’ — held for the first time in the Bandar Kuching parliamentary constituency yesterday — was a big hit among the city dwellers.

Organising chairman Eric Tay from Sarawak United People’s Party ( SUPP) Kuching branch, said people from all walks of life began to converge on Kuching South City Council ( MBKS) community hall as early as 8am.

“We see good reception as this programme is aimed at lessening the burden of the people in the city area,” he told reporters here.

It is estimated that more than 500 shoppers turned out for the half- day sale carnival, where essential items such as onions, rice, fresh chicken, anchovies, biscuits, cooking oil, sugar and eggs were sold at bargain prices.

Tay said for the Bandar Kuching ‘Jualan Sentuhan Rakyat’ programme, it was supported by Emart supermarket with most of the items subsidised by the government to ensure that they would be sold at below-market prices. SUPP Women chief Kho Teck Wan the party’s potential candidate for Bandar Kuching in the coming parliamentary election – said SUPP had been trying to host the programme for those living in the city.

“As we know, this programme has been held mostly in the rural and sub-urban areas. Based on today’s (yesterday) response, let us see if we could organise a similar programme in the future,” she said.

Kho also expressed her gratitude to SUPP Kuching for making the event a success, together with all their partners and MBKS for sponsoring the venue.

Besides selling essential items at the programme, SUPP Women members also presented free reading spectacles to the visitors.

Kho (sixth right) delivers her remarks prior to the opening of the ‘Jualan Sentuhan Rakyat’ event at the MBKS community hall. Also seen are Tay (third right) and other SUPP members and MBKS officials.

Most of the items for sale are subsidised by the government to ensure that they would be sold at below-market prices.