RM5 meals a casualty of inflation

A customer seen choosing dishes for the Rahmah Menu at Nor Azlina Abd Rahman's shop in Bandar Baru Uda. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

JOHOR BARU: With the cost of food ingredients continuing to rise, some restaurant owners here have decided to drop their Menu Rahmah, which was supposed to offer affordable food options, after only a few months. Restaurant owner Sahul Hameed, 48, said he offered the RM5 meal for only about three months before deciding to do away with the initiative.

“I started offering the Menu Rahmah some time in July before stopping it early last month as I could no longer bear the losses.

“When I first offered the meal, the price of ingredients was lower. While I did not make any profit from Menu Rahmah, at least I was not facing any losses.

“However, as the price of ingredients continues to rise, it became very difficult for me to cope.

“For a while, I tried offering the meal despite the losses. But when the price of rice also went up, I had no choice but to just drop the menu,” he said in an interview.

Sahul said while he wished to continue on for those in need, he can no longer do so in this current economic situation.

“Even workers’ salaries have gone up. If the government could give us some form of support, perhaps I can continue to provide Menu Rahmah.

“One way the government could help is by giving special subsidies. At least, this way, those offering the menu will not feel too burdened and will be motivated to continue,” he said.

Another restaurant owner, Zaid Harith, 33, said he stopped offering the Menu Rahmah due to low demand.

“Most businesses drop the Menu Rahmah due to the rising cost of ingredients but in my case, I did so because there was no demand for it,” he said, adding that he was puzzled by this as his restaurant was located near several factories in Pasir Gudang.

“Perhaps the promotion for the initiative has slowed down lately. For now, I think I may still be able to provide Menu Rahmah if there’s more demand,” he said, adding that he had only four to five customers asking for the meal in a day.

However, some restaurant owners have defied the rising prices to continue with the affordable meal option.

Restaurant owner Nor Azlina Abd Rahman, 46, said she was still able to provide Menu Rahmah for now.

“We used to offer Menu Rahmah once a week. But since two months ago, we have been providing the meal everyday to help those who need it.

“I am unsure how long we can continue doing so but I will try my best to continue as I see it as a way for me to contribute to society,” she said.