SUCH is the criticism levelled at the Madani government by detractors who claimed that the Madani Mart concept unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with the maiden concept store debuted in Indera Mahkota, Kuantan Friday (April 3) is an imitation of the Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) introduced in 2011.
Refuting the claim, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Deputy Minister Fuziah Salleh justified that the Madani government did not allocate any capital for its Madani Mart unlike KR1M which was rolled out nationwide during the Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration.
“It’s not possible to plagiarise because in the previous model (KR1M), the government allocated capital … the government paid for capex (capital expenditure), paid for renovation work, inventory, buying stock,” she brushed aside allegations of sorts by Bossku’s diehard fans during after the launch of the first Madani Mart outlet.
“But here (Madani Mart) the government didn’t spend capital, the government didn’t spend a single cent on capital, so the model is different. It’s not even a franchise concept because if it’s a franchise, it’s 100% binding but this model is flexible.”
This was when one far-sighted commenter mooted the idea of a Madani Petrol Kiosk selling affordably priced fuel in a Facebook post by former Barisan Nasional (BN) strategic communication deputy director Datuk Eric See-To who sarcastically acknowledged that Madani Mart is not an imitation as “one is red and the other is blue”.
“If Madani truly wants to help alleviate the rakyat’s hardship, then open a Madani Petrol Kiosk,” proposed the retiree from Kuantan.
“Sell RON97 @ RM3.00, RON95 @ RM1.80 and DIESEL @ RM3.00. Open all over Malaysia. Only then will your own idea be original.”
Other netizens were virtually unconvinced with PKR secretary-general Fuziah’s defence of the Madani Mart concept as they were adamant that it is a “copy, edit & paste” or more specifically, a “FOLLOW, IMMITATE, DUPLICATE, REPLICA, COPY, PASTE, PHOTOCOPY” version of KR1M.
The former three-term Kuantan MP was further criticised for having backed off from her long-standing activism against the Lynas rare earth plant in Malaysia to supporting the initiative instead.
This led to one detractor wondering if “PKR is increasingly running out of ideas”.
Very broadly, the Madani Petrol Kiosk idea sounds viable given the recent spike in unsubsidised fuel prices, especially that of RON97 and diesel, can have devastating spill-over effect on the Malaysian economy.
With diesel in particular being the lifeblood of commercial operations, there are already industry players from micro business owners such as hawkers/traders to industry players such as logistic/transport operators warning of their having to pass down the higher cost to consumers in due course.
Madani critic See-To had in a recent FB post has furnished a ‘long chronological list’ of industry players who have given goods/services price hike (30%-50%) indication following impact from the latest diesel price spike (currently RM6.02/litre).
“If it were true that there would be no impact (given some quarters claimed that diesel subsidies are still being dished out to specific sectors), there wouldn’t be so many industries issuing warnings of forthcoming price hike or stating that they’re going bust,” added the oft-dubbed Najib loyalist.
Like it or not, once the prices of food or any goods/services for the matter are revised upward, they will stay elevated at that level pending the next climb.
- focus malaysia
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