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SHAH ALAM: Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh calls the government to revive the Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) to cater exclusively to Malaysians.
KR1M, an initiative mooted under the premiership of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2011, aimed at reducing the people’s burden from the rising cost of living and assisting local small and medium enterprises.
"When it was established, people mocked and insulted Najib, but today many have realised this initiative is the best choice for the people.
“Hopefully, the current administration will reintroduce similar convenience stores to cater only to the needs of Malaysians,” Dr Akmal said in a Facebook post today.
Due to declining turnout rates and support from the public, KR1M closed its operations in 2017.
Mydin Mohamed Holdings Sdn Bhd (Mydin) which had taken part in the government programme later withdrew its involvement in August 2017.
Its managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin reportedly said the hypermarket chain suffered losses amounting to RM100 million from participating in the KR1M project.
In 2018, Najib reintroduced KR1M 2.0, but no new stores were opened.