Rahmah sales help Negeri Sembilan folk cut grocery bills

 Residents say that with essential goods offered at discounts of 10% to 30%, the programme has helped to ease pressure on their household budget.

The Madani Rahmah Sales Programme is aimed at easing the people’s cost of living burden.

SEREMBAN:

For many Negeri Sembilan residents, the Rahmah Madani Sales Programme (PJRM) has become a regular stop when they shop for essential goods.

Checks by FMT revealed that residents from various communities are turning up early to buy items such as cooking oil, flour, eggs, chicken and other daily necessities whenever a sale is held, saying the programme has helped reduce their monthly grocery expenses.

Under the PJRM, weekly sales are held at various locations where consumers are offereddiscounts of 10% to 30% on essential goods.

Ahmad Hanafi Abd Kahar.

Retired soldier Ahmad Hanafi Abd Kahar, 61, said he always kept track of PJRM locations through the official website and would attend whenever a sale was held near his home.

“I chase after PJRM every week. The prices are lower and the items we want are usuallyavailable. If we go to the supermarket, we have to go around looking for things, and the prices are uncertain. Here, oil, flour and eggs are easy to get,” he told FMT.

The PJRM was launched in 2023 to help the needy cope with the rising cost of living. According to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the target is to have up to 30,000 such weekly sales across the country this year.

Various essential goods are sold with savings of up to 30%.

The initiative, run by the domestic trade and cost of living ministry, offers savings of between 10% and 30% on various daily essentials, including chicken, eggs, sugar, cooking oil, flour, rice, vegetables, fruits, personal care items, school supplies and medicine.

Siow Yon Thai.

Siow Yon Thai, 75, said he and his neighbours often visited PJRM outlets because the prices were much lower than at supermarkets.

“Today, I bought chicken for just over RM8, which is very cheap. For all the items I bought, I paid less than RM30. It really saves money, that’s why I always come,” he said.

Chantriga Narayanan.

Chantriga Narayanan, 64, said the low prices and easy access to the location encouraged her to buy household necessities at PJRM whenever it was held.

Norazian Mohammad, 69, said the programme helped reduce the cost of ingredients, such as cooking oil and flour, for her kuih business.

Norazian Mohammad.

She said the cost could be reduced to about RM30, compared with around RM60 atsupermarkets. This, she said, helped to cut the cost of running her business, which she has been doing after her husband’s death.

Singles like Muhammad Zulhilmi Abdul Ghapar, 32, also make use of PJRM. Zulhilmi often buys items at PJRM sales, especially at the end of the month before receiving his salary.

Muhammad Zulhilmi Abdul Ghapar.

He said he used to spend RM100 to RM150 on grocery monthly but has now managed toreduce it to about RM70.

“This week, the sale was held near my housing area, so I went there straightaway. If there is another one nearby after this, I will definitely go to buy essential items,” he said, adding that he also used the one-off RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah assistance for emergency needs.

For many shoppers, PJRM has become a practical stop for stretching the ringgit, especially when essential goods take up a large share of monthly household expenditure. - FMT