Kota Kinabalu: A RM10 shopping voucher is proving a timely lifeline for traditional market traders, drawing hundreds of shoppers from as early as 6am on Friday and injecting fresh spending into the local market.
The initiative taken by Federal Agriculture and Food Security Deputy Minister, Datuk Chan Foong Hin, is aimed at putting constituency allocations directly into the hands of traders operating in existing local markets.
When met by the media, he said the programme was intended to complement Government initiatives such as Jualan Rahmah and Jualan Agro Madani, which he said did not always directly benefit small traders at traditional markets.
He said supermarkets and larger operators were often better placed to participate because they had greater capacity and a wider range of goods, leaving many small traders with fewer opportunities to benefit from government-supported promotions.
“The purpose is to bring some return to the traders already operating in these markets,” he said.
Chan said traditional market traders were facing growing pressure as consumer habits changed, particularly with younger shoppers increasingly favouring air-conditioned supermarkets for convenience.
He said the voucher scheme was intended to encourage consumers who still preferred traditional markets to continue supporting local traders while giving their businesses a direct sales boost.
The Kota Kinabalu Member of Parliament said around 40 percent of the allocation was still available at about 8am, adding that the early queue should not discourage others from participating in similar programmes.
The initiative was held in conjunction with the Mid-Autumn or Mooncake Festival today, Sept 25, when many families are expected to make preparations for festive meals and gatherings.
Chan said similar programmes would be organised from time to time at other markets within his parliamentary constituency, depending on available allocations.
He cited an earlier programme at Lido focusing on non-halal food which attracted about 2,500 people, with each recipient receiving RM20 worth of shopping vouchers.
That programme was held amid concerns over rising pork prices in Sabah where as stated previously, pork price has increased from about RM11 per kg at the beginning of the year to around RM16 per kg, putting added pressure on traders and consumers.
He said a larger programme at Kota Kinabalu’s main market would require careful planning as it involved more than 800 stalls.
“The immediate priority was to ensure constituency allocations were spread effectively while providing tangible support to both traders and consumers,” he added.