THE “Bazaar Ramadan Rahmah” (BRR) in Ipoh, Perak, has been winning praise for affordable meals.
The initiative was introduced by Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) in 2023 to ease the people’s financial burden during Ramadan.
At the Taman Cempaka BRR, the Menu Rahmah for under RM5 included chicken rice, bihun sup and laksa, while drinks and kuih packs were priced from RM2.50 to RM3.
Zaire Azri Zohar, 33, said the quality was comparable to other bazaars.
“The taste is the same. Sometimes I wonder how they manage to keep the price low,” said the Malaccan who typically spent RM50 to RM60 per visit to buy buka puasa food for his family.
“Both hands are full for that amount.
“The BRR should be continued because it benefits buyers and traders,” he told Bernama.
Cafe worker and mother-of-one Zarina Md Desa, 55, said she would come every year and would usually get the chicken rice, fried kuey teow and bihun sup.
“Everything is delicious and reasonably priced. I can save money during the fasting month,” she said.
Trader Khamarul Anuar Ali said a “Rahmah” price is no excuse to neglect food quality.
“There is no point if the price is cheap, but the taste is not nice.
“Nobody will want to buy it and will ultimately result in a loss for us,” said the 41-year-old who sold chicken rice and soups.
He added that BRR was an opportunity to grow his customer base and sales could hit 400 packs daily.
Meanwhile, Suhaila Suni said this was her second year as a trader at the bazaar.
She and her husband Mohd Azhar Ishak, 50, sell dishes like sambal ikan bilis and fish curry to go with rice.
“The profit may not be large, but I am happy because the Rahmah price helps various groups, including the Ungku Omar Polytechnic students who stay here,” said the 52-year-old catering assistant.
The KPDN Perak branch announced last month that there would be 11 BRR locations involving 465 traders across the state this year.
