Sabahans urge Rahmah Sales to be held more frequently

KOTA KINABALU - Sabah consumers want the Jualan Rahmah (Rahmah Sales) programme to be held more often considering its effectiveness in helping people get daily necessities at cheaper and affordable prices.

They also feel that its promotion should continue to be intensified while every supermarket that participates in the programme should improve its implementation to ensure that more consumers can enjoy the initiative.

Housewife Zen Marcus, 36, from Tamparuli, said the programme needs to be implemented every day so that all consumers in the state have the opportunity to buy basic necessities at low prices and increase savings in their daily expenses.

"If a certain date is set, not everyone will have the opportunity to go to a supermarket that offers this programme. The concept is good and needs to be continued because it helps the people who are now facing the challenge of rising living costs," she told Bernama.

Zen said she was aware of the Rahmah Sale concept as announced in the news, but so far, she has never seen the promotional label of necessities sold at Rahmah prices every time she shops at the supermarket.

E-hailing driver, who only wants to be known as Rizal, 35, from Tuaran, believes that every supermarket involved in the programme needs to provide a designated shelf area to place items listed under Jualan Rahmah.

"I think it is one of the ways to ensure the implementation of Rahmah Sale is more efficient. This allows consumers to easily see and can choose the basic items they need because everything is in one place and organised by category," he explained.

Rizal also said Jualan Rahmah needs to be expanded further to mini-market chains that have branches in rural areas in Sabah so that the programme reaches the target group in the area.

Cake trader, who only wants to be known as Mel Maria, 48, from Kepayan suggested that Jualan Rahmah be set up in the state, in addition to holding 'tamu' (weekday markets) especially in rural areas to ensure that the benefits are felt more by the people.

"Promotions also need to be carried out regularly either conventionally or modernly according to the area. This is very important so that more people know and can enjoy this initiative," said Mel Maria, adding that the purchase of each item under the Rahmah Sale is limited to two items per buyer.

Food operator Hafiz Francisco, 25, from Likas, says that participating supermarkets should also play a role in intensifying the promotion of the programme on their respective social media sites.

"Necessary items in the Rahmah Sale also need to be diversified so that consumers have more options. Basic necessities or canned food including sauces and soy sauce that are sold must also be of good quality and not those that are nearing their expiration date.

"This is because there are families who are less able to buy essential items to keep as stock for use in the coming days," he said.

Jualan Rahmah is a cheap sales concept under the Unity Government's Payung Rahmah initiative specifically for the B40 group, and through the programme, supermarkets offer up to 30 per cent cheaper prices of essential goods to ease the burden of people's living costs. - BERNAMA