KUANTAN: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched the first Madani Mart retail outlet in the country as part of the government’s initiative to help ease the cost of living.
The Prime Minister spent some time at the outlet in Indera Mahkota 8, Bandar Indera Mahkota, accompanied by Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh.
The Madani Mart initiative, led by Yayasan Madani, adopts a community retail concept, offering daily necessities at affordable prices and accessible locations.
Fuziah said Madani Mart represented a strategic approach in addressing cost-of-living challenges in a more comprehensive and targeted manner.
She said the initiative did not involve direct government expenditure but was driven through a strategic collaboration model involving the public and private sectors, as well as Yayasan Madani.
“Under a previous model, the government provided capital and paid for renovations and stock purchases. For Madani Mart, the government does not incur any capital outlay,” she told reporters, Bernama reported.
Fuziah said this model also created opportunities for local communities and entrepreneurs to participate.
Madani Mart aims to open at least 640 outlets nationwide, with a target to ensure that each state constituency has at least one outlet.
Separately, the Prime Minister met with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) president and chairman of the board of directors Zou Jiayi to discuss the sustainable development agenda, covering the transition to green energy and empowerment of digital infrastructure and advanced technology.
“I spoke on the government’s priorities as outlined in the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) and the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), focusing on empowering renewable energy, improving energy efficiency and the development of a competitive and inclusive digital ecosystem,” he said in a social media post.
On private investment and regional economic integration, Anwar welcomed AIIB’s commitment to continue strengthening its role to boost strategic investments in Malaysia, particularly in high-value and high-impact sectors.
