NEKMAT LAUNCHES SECOND FISHERMEN’S MARKET IN KL'S TAMAN BUKIT CHERAS

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 (Bernama) -- The National Fishermen Association (NEKMAT) launched its second NEKMAT Fishermen's Market in Taman Bukit Cheras here today.

NEKMAT chairman Abdul Hamid Bahari said the opening of the second fishermen's market is a result of efforts by NEKMAT to ensure city dwellers can obtain fresh sea produce.

"Today, we are holding various promotions in conjunction with the Fishermen's Market@Taman Bukit Cheras at extremely cheap prices. For example, during the Happy Hour, we sold 'cencaru' for as low as 20 sen each.

"For the bigger fishes, like bawal (pomfret), kerapu (grouper), jenahak, siakap (barramundi) and others, we are offering promotional prices of between RM5 and RM10 each. We are selling at a very low price and you cannot get this anywhere else," he told Bernama today.

The Fishermen's Market@Taman Bukit Cheras was officiated by the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) chairman Muhammad Faiz Fadzil.

Besides the Happy Hour, NEKMAT also held promotions like discounts of between 15 and 30 per cent for various sea produce and the provision of RM15 vouchers for the purchase of goods at the NEKMAT Fishermen’s Market.

Abdul Hamid said the objective of the promotion today was to give visitors and residents around the area a taste of fresh fish from the sea and NEKMAT.

In addition, he expects 10 more such markets to be opened in Kuala Lumpur next year.

“We will also recommend all NEKMAT associations in the states and areas to follow in our footsteps so that more urban folk can enjoy fresh fish at a reasonable price. If we were to implement this initiative nationwide, the government’s aspiration to ensure food security can be indirectly fulfilled,” he said.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Faiz said the fishermen’s market, themed ‘Dari Nelayan Terus Ke Dapur’ (From Fishermen Directly to the Kitchen), aims to facilitate local fishermen to market their catch directly to consumers.

“This concept not only benefits fishermen but also the surrounding population, who can purchase fresh sea produce at more reasonable prices,” he said.

He hopes that such initiatives can continue to grow and bring a positive impact on the fishermen’s community and the locals, in addition to improving the fishermen’s economy and ensuring the country’s food supply.

-- BERNAMA