PUTRAJAYA, May 14 — Products by rural entrepreneurs who participated in the Desamall@KPLB programme can now be obtained faster via the GrabMart and GrabFood services.

It was the result of a strategic collaboration between the administrator of Desamall@KPLB programme, ELokal Sdn Bhd and Grab Malaysia, which was inked today.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Rural Development Minister Datuk Abd Latiff Ahmad here today.

According to ELokal’s co-founder and chief executive officer Ahmad Shah Wahid, the Desamall@KPLB programme has recorded an increase of nearly 300 per cent in sales since the implementation of the movement control order (MCO).

The Desamall@KPLB programme markets rural entrepreneurs’ products through e-commerce platforms such as PrestoMall, Lazada, Shopee and eBay.

Ahmad Shah said the most popular products in the Desamall@KPLB program on Lazada and Shopee e-commerce platforms since the imposition of the MCO were Pahang’s black sauce (sambal hitam) and various cooking pastes.

"The demand for food items have risen with the beginning of Ramadan and the Desamall@KPLB programme is poised to meet the growing demand when Aidilfitri is celebrated next week,” he told reporters after the event.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Shah said the three initial pick-up points for GrabMart are Kelana Jaya, Putrajaya and Batu Caves whose radius of delivery was six km from the pick-up points.

"Locations for the pick-up points will be increased from time to time,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Abd Latiff Ahmad said the strategic cooperation between Desamall@KPLB and Grab Malaysia has enabled rural products to be marketed in a manner coincides with the new norm during Covid-19 pandemic.

On the candidate to head Mara Corporation Sdn Bhd Advisory Board after Simpang Renggam Member of Parliament Maszlee Malik rejected his appointment, the minister said the post would be filled by former Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal.

Dr Sahruddin is also the Bukit Kepong state assemblyman. The appointment is effective tomorrow. — Bernama