Salahuddin’s ‘affordable supermarts’ idea won’t work, says Bersatu man

 

Domestic trade and cost of living minister Salahuddin Ayub has proposed affordable supermarkets as a long-term plan to help reduce the cost of living.

PETALING JAYA: A Bersatu leader has poured cold water on a proposal by domestic trade and cost of living minister Salahuddin Ayub to have “affordable supermarts”.

Salahuddin said the country’s billionaires could invest in such supermarkets, adding that this would benefit the people.

However, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, the Bersatu Youth chief, is skeptical. “It’s a possible solution, but I don’t think it will be accepted by those with large capital,” he said in an interview with FMT.

He said the rich would have their own businesses to think about. “Why should they diversify into areas where they do not have expertise?” he said.

Salahuddin had floated the idea of the affordable supermarkets as part of a long-term plan to help reduce the cost of living. He said he had come across similar supermarkets in Britain and the US 10 years ago.

The supermarkets cater to the needy, and the volume of customers and profits seemed to be quite appealing for Malaysia to follow suit, he said.

Salahuddin said the government could facilitate the setting up of more mini-markets which offer lower prices such as 99 Speedmart and KK Mart.

This would encourage healthy competition and help stabilise the price of goods, he said.

Improvements to public healthcare system

Wan Fayhsal proposed that the government raise the minimum charges for services in government clinics and hospitals, where government employees and pensioners get free treatment while others pay only RM1 to register as a patient.

In recent years, Putrajaya has been urged to increase the fees at government clinics and hospitals to ensure the sustainability of public healthcare services.

“It’s not a popular idea, but it is important so that we can more or less help the government rather than let the health ministry go on without sufficient funds,” said Wan Fayhsal.

When asked if this would limit access to healthcare, especially for those in the B40 groups, he said the ministry could consider a targeted fee structure according to income levels to be implemented in public clinics and hospitals.

On Feb 22, FMT reported that the health ministry was seeking an allocation of three times more than what it was given under the previous budget in a bid to improve healthcare facilities. - FMT