KUALA LUMPUR - MADANI Mart is not an official government initiative but a private retail brand owned by Yayasan MADANI, with its operations managed by business entities that obtain licences from the foundation through an application process.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali explained that although the ministry does not directly manage MADANI Mart, it remains subject to the ministry’s enforcement.
He said Yayasan MADANI is registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) under Section 45 of the Companies Act 2016 as a company limited by guarantee.
"Business entities involved in activities related to controlled goods are subject to the provisions of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 (Act 122) and are required to obtain a Controlled Scheduled Articles (CSA) licence from the ministry.
"According to ministry records, two MADANI Mart branches hold CSA licences registered under two business entities acting as operators,” he said during the Ministers’ Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said this in his reply to a question from Datuk Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) on the latest status of the MADANI Mart initiative, including the number of outlets in operation, applications received and entrepreneurs involved.
Meanwhile, Armizan said there is no legal provision prohibiting any individual, including members of the government administration, from serving as a member of a foundation's board of trustees.
He explained that oversight of the foundation is carried out by the SSM through reviews of its annual returns and audited financial statements to ensure that any income or profits are utilised in accordance with the objectives set out in the foundation's constitution.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Rosol regarding the involvement of several individuals with links to the government, including a deputy minister and an officer from a ministry, in Yayasan MADANI, amid concerns over a possible conflict of interest. BERNAMA