AFFORDABLE DISHES: (From third left) Dahim and Wan Uzir join others to show dishes on offer under the 1Malaysia People’s Menu.
KAPIT: The Bletih State Complex Maksak Canteen has adopted the 1Malaysia People’s Menu — the first state government building to do so.
Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism state director Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman said it is not possible to control the prices of many food items because Malaysia is not the producing country.
“We import food products and the prices fluctuate depending on market forces of demand and supply.
“Because the cost of things have increased, the government introduced the 1Malaysia People’s Menu so that with the same amount of money, consumers can still enjoy breakfast or lunch at the shops. Breakfast is RM2.50, while lunch is RM5,” he explained when launching the menu yesterday.
Last year, the ministry aimed to sign up 150 1Malaysia People’s Menu outlets but only achieved 75 statewide.
Currently the menu is also offered at Bangunan Tun Datuk Patinggi Tuanku Haji Bujang in Kuching.
Wan revealed that the ministry had received a lot of complaints from patients at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) in Kuching of costly food, leading them to intervene.
“We managed to persuade the canteen operator to adopt the 1Malaysia People’s Menu to help the poor patients at SGH,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said the ministry is planning various outreach programmes for rural communities on consumerism, to prevent them from being victimised by scammers.
“The culprit of scams for investments and get-rich-quick schemes are very smart people. They’re smart. They know the rules and regulations very well as with everything with the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism.
“To prevent falling prey to scams – investments and get-rich-quick schemes — consumers must be smarter. To be smart, it’s through education and to investigate with the ministry,” said Wan Uzir.
He cited a so-called 1Malaysia rice scam in Bau recently where an elderly woman was cheated of RM300,000.
“Scammers are everywhere, not only in urban areas but also rural villages. They’re smart, they study to look for prey. So consumers must be alert and aware of such scams,” he added.
Kapit Resident Dahim Nadot pointed out that the understanding of consumerism here is still poor.
“The ministry’s office is very important to monitor the prices of essential commodities and to educate the consumers on their privileges and rights.
“Kapit is a very big area, as big as Pahang, and in the absence of roads, I suggest the office equip itself with a boat to manoeuvre around to provide more comprehensive services,” he said.