PJRM Offers Relief To Budget-conscious Households

By Mohamad Harith Mohamad Nizar

IPOH, June 24 (Bernama) -- What began as a simple sales initiative has since taken on greater significance, the MADANI Rahmah Sales Programme (PJRM) now offers consistent savings and helps ease the financial burden of thousands of households, especially those with tighter budgets.

From housewives to small-scale traders, many in Ipoh eagerly await PJRM’s weekly visits — a reliable source of savings on everyday items.

For housewife R. Vijaya, 63, keeping up with the latest PJRM updates on TikTok is a routine, allowing her to track the dates, locations and times of the sales so as not to miss the chance to purchase essentials at lower prices.

“My husband, who sells putu mayam earns between RM1,000 and RM2,000 a month. So we really need to spend wisely,” she told Bernama when met at the PJRM held at DR Seenivasagam Recreational Park here.

Vijaya shared that she and her husband, R. Raju, 66, usually spend about RM600 a month on groceries and never miss PJRM events, especially those held near their home in Silibin.

“If there’s a PJRM, I’ll definitely try to go. My friends also inform me if there’s one nearby,” she said, adding that they could save up to RM50 each time by buying items such as cooking oil, rice, eggs and bread.

Meanwhile, food vendor Kamarulzaman Mohammad Yunus, 51, said he frequently follows PJRM updates on the Perak Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Facebook page.

“I try to attend PJRM at least twice a month to buy cheaper groceries compared to market prices,” he said.

Kamarulzaman, who earns around RM2,500 a month, said each visit could save him more than RM100, helping him provide for his large family.

Private sector employee Azlin Eleena Ahmad Suhaime, 32, said she learned about PJRM through KPDN’s Facebook page and has been a regular customer since the initiative was launched in 2023.

“Today, I bought items like diapers, sugar, chicken and biscuits for just RM160, compared to over RM200 elsewhere,” said Azlin Eleena, who earns about RM3,000 a month.

To canopy trader Ismail Abdul Hair, 53, PJRM provides a much-needed opportunity to save on rising grocery bills.

“We can save around 20 per cent each time compared to regular prices. I even went to a PJRM in Penang once while visiting there,” he said.

At the PJRM event held at DR Seenivasagam Recreational Park, more than 100 daily essentials were offered at discounts of up to 30 per cent, including 1 kg of wheat flour at RM2.50 (regular price RM3.50), 5 kg of cooking oil at RM21.90 (normally RM30.90), and fresh chicken at RM7 per kg instead of RM10.

The programme, organised by KPDN in collaboration with the Ipoh City Council (MBI), SAVE Supermarket and Pasar Mini Berkat Jaya, is part of the Rahmah initiative under Budget 2025, aimed at easing the cost of living burden on the people, particularly the lower-income group, while stimulating the local economy by supporting local retailers and supermarkets.

-- BERNAMA