KUCHING: The scorching weather could stop the people from converging on the Unity Stadium to shop in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebrations.
A Bernama survey found visitors started to throng the sales tents as early as 7am on Friday (September 15) to get discounts from 30% to 50% for essential items.
One of them was 38-year-old Wan Mohd Syefrizee Wan Mohd Nordin, who said he only spent about RM70 to purchase items for his family, like eggs, chicken, laundry detergent and packets of cooking oil.
"It's definitely worth it... because I would have spent RM150 at the usual price to buy these items. That's why I came on the first day. I expect more visitors on the second day,” said the father of two.
Wan Mohd Syefrizee, who hails from Melaka and teaches at Institut Kemahiran Mara Kuching, said such initiatives would positively impact the less fortunate and those affected by the current price hike of goods.
The two-day sales programme was a collaboration between the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) and Everrise supermarket.
Necessities such as chicken, eggs, cooking oil, sugar and flour are sold at the stalls during the programme, which was open from 9am to 6pm On Friday and from 9am to 9.30pm On Saturday (Sept 16).
Another visitor, 53-year-old housewife Lami Putit, said she planned to turn up on both days to get her hands on fast-selling items, such as rice, eggs and Milo.
She also hoped the government could continue the Rahmah Sales programme and expand it to rural areas as well.
"Better still if such programmes are held in villages where the residents face constraints in terms of transportation to go to the cities to join in the programme,” she said, adding that had to queue up for nearly two hours just to pay for her purchases.
Meanwhile, Sarawak KPDN head of the trade development section, Liew Hui Chang, said the Rahmah Sales programme, in conjunction with Malaysia Day, offers 18 essential items.
In its effort to reduce the cost of living for the people, she said the ministry expected the programme to benefit 2,000 families.
"Although there will be more of each item on sale on the second day due to its longer opening period, visitors will still be limited to purchasing only two items per transaction,” she said.- Bernama
