Food basket programme running smoothly
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday inspected preparations of food baskets under the Bakul Prihatin Negara programme, which involves the distribution of 420,000 staple food baskets to 1.68 million recipients.
Involving cooperation between the public and private sector, the programme is being managed by the Yayasan Kebajikan Negara under the purview of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the collection and distribution centre for the programme at the ministry yesterday, Muhyiddin said the initiative involved an allocation of RM5 million from the Prime Minister’s Department and RM16 million from the private sector.
“We cannot compromise on anything in matters involving people’s well-being. As long as the Covid-19 crisis is not over and the economy is not revived, I will remain concerned and feel responsible to ensure the well-being of the people regardless of their background or where they are. We shall do our level best to help them,” he said. Also present was Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun.
Each basket contains staples worth RM50 including rice, salt and sugar, flour, vermicelli, soy sauce, canned sardines, biscuits and coffee, Bernama reported.
Muhyiddin said excluding those under the Bakul Prihatin Negara programme, the government has distributed 2.31 million food baskets involving an allocation of RM173.4 million, which benefitted 9.26 million people since the first phase of the food basket assistance programme was launched in March last year.
During the visit, Muhyiddin also received RM16 million in contributions for the programme from five companies, comprising Yayasan Petronas, represented by Petronas Group president and chief executive officer (CEO) Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz, with a contribution of RM5 million; AEON Big, represented by AEON Group Malaysia CEO Shafie Shamsuddin (RM4 million); Pharmaniaga Bhd, represented by its chairman Datuk Seri Mohammed Shazaili Ramly (RM3 million); Tenaga Nasional Bhd, represented by its president/CEO Datuk Baharin Din (RM2 million); and Telekom Malaysia Bhd, represented by its chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh (RM2 million).