The cheap price offered under Menu Rahmah initiative does not mean sellers are giving consumers food of lower quality, said Mydin hypermarket owner Ameer Ali Mydin.
He said this in response to Kapar MP Dr Halimah Ali who on Tuesday linked Menu Rahmah to concerns that "low-quality food" could expose people to the risk of various medical conditions, including autism.
Halimah has since denied that she was saying that cheap food would cause disease, but was only reminding sellers to provide healthy food and not compromise on quality because they were desperate.
Ameer (above) told Malaysiakini today that it was wrong for Halimah to make such an assumption, and regarded her statement as creating confusion among the public.
"Actually it's very wrong when she assumes that people (sellers) will give low-quality food because we are selling at a cheaper price.
"From the onset, especially at Mydin, and nasi kandar association, we have said that the quality of the food won't be compromised.
"She must also remember that we are in business and we are here for the long term. If we start giving lower quality food, not only the reputation of Menu Rahmah would be affected but the reputation of our business itself - be it Mydin or whatever," he said.
Adding further, Ameer said reputation is something very important for business operators and compromising on quality would have a long-term effect on their business.
The seasoned businessperson also denied the notion that sellers would be selling Menu Rahmah at a loss.
According to him, the cap of RM5 per meal can cover costs for the food, and sellers are still able to make between RM1 and RM1.50 from each plate.
"It’s the same meal, there is no compromise (on food), the only thing is when you sell at such a low margin, it won't cover the overall overhead of the shop, or kedai mamak or whatever.
"But you must remember, not everyone comes to buy Menu Rahmah, we have seen that only 15 percent of the customers buy Menu Rahmah, so we still have 85 percent of customers buying other things," he said.
The Menu Rahmah initiative was launched by the government in January in a bid to reduce living costs. Under the initiative, customers can buy meals at RM5 and below, comprising rice, chicken, or fish, and vegetables with plain water.
Halimah, who is a PAS MP, reportedly expressed her concerns about Menu Rahmah during a debate in the Parliament on Tuesday.
The remarks had since courted flak online.
However, earlier today, Halimah when met by reporters in the Parliament denied that she meant Menu Rahmah could cause health issues such as autism.
"I’m just saying just be careful, don't be too desperate just because you want to say that you provide cheap food and the restaurants have to resort to government pressure," she said.
Halimah chides the press
The MP also reprimanded reporters when pressed to comment on her earlier remarks, saying that they should not "spin" her words.
"I don’t say that (cheap food will cause diseases). You have got your own ethics and professionalism, don’t spin.
"You are compromising the rakyat… they are already under mental stress, we are here to help the rakyat, don’t be funny and waste people’s time to do this.
Meanwhile, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Salahuddin Ayub ridiculed Halimah over what she said on Tuesday.
"I only realised that cancer did not exist in this world, up until there is Menu Rahmah," he told reporters when met at the Parliament.
Another MP, Lee Chean Chung (PKR-Petaling Jaya), expressed his disappointment with Halimah for making such a claim linking food to autism, especially given her qualification as a medical doctor.
According to Lee, it was general knowledge that food does not cause autism.
Halimah should come up with scientific evidence to back her statement, Lee added, or she must apologise to the public for making confusing remarks.
"I also want to urge Halimah to show proof that Menu Rahmah is being provided with low-quality food," he said in a statement.
Former Pakatan Harapan MP for Kapar, Abdullah Sani, who was defeated by Halimah in the recent election, also took a swipe at the latter on Twitter.
"While I'm only a politician and not a medical doctor, I know that food won't cause autism," he said. - Mkini
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