People’s Outreach Sale a success in Yong Peng
YONG PENG: The first-ever Jualan Sentuhan Rakyat (People’s Outreach Sale) programme at the pedestrian-only Yong Peng Street saw a good turnout as daily necessities and common household foodstuff were being sold at discounted prices.
The programme, organised by the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry, saw essentials offered at lower prices.
Chicken, for instance, was sold at RM5.90 per kilo while the market price in nearby Kluang was RM6.70.
Ayer Hitam MP and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, who went to the event together with Ayer Hitam MCA chief Ling Tian Soon, said the programme demonstrated the Barisan Nasional government’s commitment to easing people’s burden.
He added that he would campaign for the Jualan Sentuhan Rakyat programme to be held more frequently here to help Ayer Hitam and Yong Peng residents.
Chicken seller Amirul Firdaus Masri said the response was quite good.
“We brought about 500 chickens and we’re left with 120 chickens or so. We brought 700 chickens to Paloh yesterday and sold everything,” he said.
Fishmonger Mohamad Zain Ali said this was the 14th Jualan Sentuhan Rakyat event he participated in.
“We’ve reduced prices for the event. We brought down the price of mussels from RM8 to RM5 per kilo, and ikan kembung from RM15 or RM16 per kilo to RM9,” he said.
For housewife Saraswati Krishnan, the lower prices meant she was able to buy a bit more.
“We can stock up and not have to buy things for a while,” the mother of two, whose husband works as a freight truck driver, said.
Meanwhile, at a tea session with Yong Peng residents at a coffee shop in Jalan Templer later, Dr Wee said he was not fazed by online attacks, which were sometimes laced with malice.
He was commenting on the negative comments he received over photos of him praying at the town’s Tian Pao Kong Temple.
“These past few years, a lot of people posted comments asking why I haven’t died yet, or why Yan Luo Wang (the Chinese God of Death) hasn’t called me yet.
“It’s very petty, but it doesn’t affect my heartbeat at all,” said Dr Wee, adding the social media environment would be even more vicious in the next two months.