KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — The ‘Keluarga Malaysia Cheap Sale’ programme will be held beginning next month until the end of the year with essential items sold at lower prices compared to the Keluarga Malaysia Sales Programme (PJKM) introduced earlier.

Jihad Against Inflation Special Task Force chairman Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the sales programme, which will involve five ministries, will be expanded to 613 areas nationwide, compared to 222 before this.

“And if previously it (PJKM) was held twice a month, this time it will be held four times a month involving 2,400 selected premises,” he told a media conference after chairing a task force meeting at the Parliament building here today.

Annuar, who is also Communications and Multimedia Minister, said four other ministries would join the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) in the implementation of the programme, namely the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry, Rural Development Ministry, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry and Federal Territories Ministry.

He said the programme would focus on the sale of key products such as eggs, chicken and cooking oil at prices up to 20 per cent lower than the market price.

Meanwhile, Annuar said for this programme, cooperation was expanded with more shops or smaller premises, including cooperative-owned shops, and also focused on products needed by the people.

In addition, he said it would involve the participation of local leaders, including elected representatives, who would help choose locations and also in the publicity of the programme.

“We expect that within five months of implementation, it will involve an allocation of RM80 million and it is the hope of this special task force that more premises and traders are ready to provide cheaper prices for the people,” he said.

Elaborating on what PJKM phase 1 had achieved, Annuar said more than 2,000 programmes were implemented involving an expenditure of RM12 million.

“The pressure of prices of goods is the reality that we are now dealing with, so we are thinking how this sales programme can be introduced more widely and effectively,” he said while expressing his gratitude to KPDNHEP for its commitment to implementing the programme. — Bernama