KR1M to be relaunched next month
> Ministry in talks with more than 10 firms to open up to 2,000 stores
PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism expects more Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) 2.0 outlets to be opened when it is officially relaunched by the middle of next month.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, said compared with its predecessor, Mydin, which had intended to open at least one KR1M outlet in each of the 222 parliamentary constituencies, the companies being engaged should be able to open as many KR1M outlets as they can sustain.
“The ministry is engaging with more than 10 companies to assess their capabilities to operate KR1M 2.0 and provide fair pricing,” he told reporters after attending the ministry’s monthly meeting yesterday.
“Unlike before, we want them to open 1,000 or even up to 2,000 KR1M 2.0 outlets.
“The companies which will be given the responsibility to handle KR1M must be able to carry it out properly.
“The government is always ready to provide them incentives.”
Hamzah added the ministry will be engaging petrol station owners in an effort to market five essential goods under the KR1M 2.0 label.
“We are engaging Petronas, among other wholesalers, to supply essential items such as rice, sugar, flour, cooking oil and LPG under the KR1M 2.0 label.”
He said the exact launch date for KR1M 2.0 will be decided by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak. KR1M was established in 2011 as a government-backed initiative to mitigate rising costs of living.
However, in July, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi instructed the ministry to terminate Mydin’s contract to operate KR1M for allegedly selling basic goods at above set prices.