The government today refuted claims that Madani Mart, a retail concept launched earlier today by Anwar Ibrahim, copies Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M), introduced in 2011 by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.
According to Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh, the government provided no capital for the opening of the first Madani Mart outlet in Kuantan, Pahang.
“This is not a copy (of KR1M) because in the previous model, the government provided its capital… the government paid for its capex (capital expenditure), renovations, inventory, and stock purchases.
“But here (Madani Mart), the government does not provide any capital - not even a single sen - so the model is different.
“It is also not a franchise concept because a franchise binds 100 percent, whereas this model is flexible,” she told a press conference held after the outlet’s launch in Indera Mahkota today.
Earlier, Anwar spent about 20 minutes visiting and officiating the store. Also present was Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.
Fuziah added that Madani Mart, managed by Yayasan Madani, aims to gradually expand to 640 outlets nationwide.
In 2018, BN restructured KR1M to KR1M 2.0 to improve its operations, reduce losses, and convert 50 outlets into KR1M 2.0 stores.
Under the initiative, there were over 500 outlets during the six years it was in operation
The business reportedly incurred over RM100 million in losses before it was discontinued in 2017.
i-KeeP before Madani Mart
Following the change in government, the Pakatan Harapan administration moved to overhaul the programme.
In late 2018, the government introduced the Inisiatif Kedai Ekonomi Pengguna (i‑KeeP), a new initiative in which 197 types of daily essential goods were sold at between two percent and 20 percent below market prices through premises operated by participating retail partners.
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Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who was the then domestic trade and consumer affairs minister, had indicated that KR1M 2.0 will be retained but rebranded.
Unlike the original KR1M model, under i‑KeeP, the government acted as a negotiator between suppliers and retailers rather than directly managing the stores, in an effort to address the high losses previously incurred.
While i‑KeeP represented a policy shift from KR1M, public reporting does not indicate that it evolved into a long-term, nationwide programme in the same manner, and it appears to have gradually receded from prominence. - Mkini
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