MORE PRICE REDUCTION FAIRS PLANNED
‘Jualan Sentuhan Rakyat’ fairs to be held twice a month in each parliamentary area, says Najib
THE “Jualan Sentuhan Rakyat” programme (PJSR), a price reduction fair for essential items aimed at easing people’s burden, will be held twice a month in each parliamentary area nationwide.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced this when launching the state-level fair at Dataran Bandaraya here.
To mark PJSR’s launch, Najib also announced further price reductions for five food items.
“The 10kg Beras Super VWR’s market price is RM23.80 and the PJSR price is RM20. For today’s (yesterday’s) launch, we are offering ‘buy one, get one free’. The same offer is for the 5kg pack (RM12.40 market price and RM10 PJSR price).
“Dressed chicken, which is RM8.50 per kg based on the market price and RM10 PJSR price for one whole chicken, is reduced to RM5 for a whole chicken.
“Beef (RM25 per kg market price and RM20 per kg PJSR price) is reduced to RM15 per kg.
“Grade C eggs (30 pieces) with RM11.40 per tray market price and RM8.50 per tray PJSR price, are available at RM5 per tray.
“Milo (400gm), sold at RM8.40 per pack at market price and RM6.90 per pack at PJSR price, is reduced to RM5 per pack,” he said, to cheers from those present.
Najib announced an additional RM5 million allocation for the Biz Fair grant, aimed at helping potential entrepreneurs, topping up the current RM5 million allocation. Biz Fair, launched simultaneously at the event by the Companies Commission of Malaysia, provides an initial capital of up to RM3,000, in the form of equipment, for entrepreneurs in Sabah.
“Any programme carried out by the government is (based on) a people-first (policy),” said Najib.
“So, if you attend a Barisan Nasional programme, you will benefit, but if you follow the opposition’s (programme), you will not know what to expect.”
He said as the ruling government, the coalition would not stay silent when there were issues affecting the people, such as cost of living. He cited the PJSR programme, which was aimed at ensuring the prices of essential goods were kept affordable.
He said there were those keen on gaining profit by rising prices as they wished and who put the blame on the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Najib said Malaysia had only six per cent GST, which was low compared with other countries, and that 578 basic and essential items were exempted.
With the revenues collected, the government distributed 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M), with RM600 million allocated for Sabah this year.
PJSR allows consumers to buy daily essentials such as poultry, rice, cooking oil and sugar at prices that are five to 20 per cent lower than market prices.
Launched on Jan 20, 458 fairs have been held nationwide, involving RM20 million in receipts. In Sabah, 31 PJSR programmes had been held, involving RM2.77 million in sales with 75,000 visitors recorded.