Inflation around the world over the past three years has been affecting businesses, consumers and all the other stakeholders.
The issue of rising production costs that push the prices of basic goods up has impacted billions of people in terms of their buying power and quality of life.
Enjoying daily goods at an affordable price is everyone’s wish. Yet, in the middle of rising inflation, it simply means a heavier burden on the underprivileged, especially the B40 group and those living below the poverty line.
‘Payung Rahmah’
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What initiatives have been launched so far?
As of September 2023, a series of Payung Rahmah initiatives for different target groups have been launched.
They include Bakul Rahmah, Menu Rahmah, Kafe Rahmah, Jualan Rahmah, Menu Siswa Rahmah, Bazar Ramadhan Rahmah, Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah, Sumbangan Asas Rahmah, e-Tunai Belia Rahmah, Pakej Rahmah Cermin Mata, Kasih Sayang Ibu dan Si Manja, Pakej Rahmah Insurans, Pakej Rahmah Takaful, Jualan Sukan Rahmah, Pakej 5G Rahmah, and Beras Rahmah.
Overall, KPDN has identified over two million people who will be benefitting from various Payung Rahmah initiatives. Along the way, existing Rahmah programmes will be refined while the new ones are being introduced to address different needs that may arise.
There is good news for farmers, Baja Rahmah is in the pipeline! The initiative is being finalized at present, according to KPDN.
Helping people meet their basic needs
Taking care of the basic needs comes first before others. For the B40, lower income and extreme poor groups, what concerns them most is the wellbeing of their families.
For the underprivileged, putting food on the table can be challenging and in certain circumstances, a timely assistance will make a lot of difference.
Bakul Rahmah, Menu Rahmah and Jualan Rahmah are three important measures to address such needs. They provide the much-needed savings on daily household goods, including food and other necessities.
To help your understanding, the table below sums up the essence of these three highly lauded initiatives.
Benefitting needy people of all ages
Food is the most important basic need among all. The ability to put food on the table will affect the wellbeing of every family.
Putting the Menu Rahmah in perspective, it is a balanced meal that comprises rice and a choice of protein such as chicken or fish, and vegetables, or the equivalent, all bundled into an affordable offer of RM5 each (or lower, depending on the seller).
The ever popular Menu Rahmah has been gaining momentum with more and more fast-food chains coming onboard, including McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, OLDTOWN White Coffee, Marry brown and Burger King.
The inclusivity of Menu Rahmah is that it goes beyond ethnicity, gender, age and even profession. It deals with what matters most – filling the stomach. Whether you are a child, student, working adult or retiree, there is something for everyone.
Look out for Jualan Rahmah Bergerak too
Apart from food, the rising prices of goods and services of daily needs such as clothing, health care and transportation are also eroding the wellbeing of the people.
Understanding this, the government, through KPDN, is allocating RM150 million to ensure the success of Jualan Rahmah, which is another timely initiative that helps reduce the living costs of the people.
According to Fuziah Salleh, deputy minister of KPDN, nearly 1,200 Jualan Rahmah programmes with discounts ranging from 10 to 30% generally for various goods have been implemented thus far, which translates into a sales value of RM51.2 million.
Extra effort is being taken to make Jualan Rahmah a big success. Look out for the nationwide Jualan Rahmah Bergerak!
The participants of this campaign have so far made nearly 400 tours across the country, offering daily household goods that are pillared on the “Kedai Cari Rakyat” concept.
Benefitting rural communities of Sabah and Sarawak
Adding to the good news, the government has also approved an additional allocation of RM50 million to extend the Rahmah initiatives to as many places as possible throughout the country. The move is to reduce the cost of living for the general public, especially the rural communities of Sabah and Sarawak.
Positive response from industry players and consumers
Menu Rahmah and Jualan Rahmah are two solid examples that have been gaining strong support from different industry players and consumers.
KPDN has so far registered over 3,000 food retailers for the Menu Rahmah, and over 20 hypermarket and supermarket chains for the Jualan Rahmah.
The voluntary participation by different industry players manifests the noble intention of Payung Rahmah ie. to benefit people from all walks of life.
For businesses, it’s a way of giving back to the community
Initiatives that meet the wishes of the rakyat are to be expanded and continued.
In order to make all the Payung Rahmah initiatives a big success, the active participation by different industry players is the key driver.
For the wellbeing of the rakyat, KPDN is always open to engagement with industry players of different sectors to soar the aspirations of Payung Rahmah.
Spreading the goodwill of Payung Rahmah
From what began as the Menu Rahmah, Payung Rahmah has today spawned into many other initiatives to reach and benefit a wider audience.
Payung Rahmah is part of the MADANI Economy framework.
The overview of MADANI Economy can be downloaded via: https://www.pmo.gov.my/2023/07/ekonomi-madani-memperkasa-rakyat-2/
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