KUANTAN: Residents here took advantage of the Mega Aidilfitri Rahmah Madani Sales Programme (PJRM) in Pantai Sepat to buy essential items at prices lower than the market.
Government retiree Radzali Abdul Rahman, 59, and his wife, Umi Kalsum Ismail, 59, were among those seen carrying their purchases after spending hundreds of ringgit at the programme.
Umi Kalsum said she bought 6kg of local beef, four chickens, and 12 bottles of carbonated drinks, along with other basic necessities, in preparation for Hari Raya Aidilfitri at the programme, organised by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.
"We also bought other items, including laundry detergent, and I think it was worth it. The prices were really cheap.
"We started queuing at 8 am as my husband and I did not want to miss the chance to buy cheap beef with no purchase limit. We finished shopping at almost noon," said the housewife when met by Bernama.
A Bernama check found that people were willing to endure the scorching heat and queue for long hours to take advantage of special offers at the programme, including fresh local beef sold at RM26 per kg, compared to its original price of RM33.50.
Apart from beef, visitors to the PJRM can also purchase other items at lower prices, including fresh chicken at RM7 per kg, five kg of imported rice for RM15, and Grade B chicken eggs at RM8 per tray, compared to the ceiling price of RM12.90.
The two-day programme, which began on Friday (March 28) from 9am to 4pm, offers discounts of 10% to 30% on 80 items, making them more affordable than local market prices.
Another housewife, Rohani Kamaludin, 55, also grabbed the chance to purchase basic ingredients for Aidilfitri dishes, such as eight chickens, glutinous rice, vermicelli, and cooking oil.
"This is a great initiative, as it helps reduce household expenses. We also don’t have to travel to the city to buy ingredients for Raya dishes," said the mother of seven.
For private sector worker Zulaikha Zainudin, 28, from Batu 3 here, queuing for a long time was worthwhile to get fresh beef for her mother’s cooking preparations.
"I have been queuing since 9.30am, and it is now almost 12 noon. I hope to get the beef my mother requested, as I have already bought other items like chicken," she said, adding that such a programme had helped ease her family's financial burden.
To attract more visitors, e-wallet incentives worth RM20 were given to the first 1,000 attendees on Saturday (March 29) and Friday. - Bernama
