IPOH: The government’s People’s Income Initiative (IPR) has proven to be instrumental in increasing the earnings of the B40 group, who are actively seeking additional sources of income to cope with the rising cost of living.
Comprising three models -- the Food Entrepreneur Initiative (INSAN), the Farming Entrepreneur Initiative (INTAN), and the Service Operator Initiative (IKHSAN) -- the IPR under the Economy Ministry has begun to yield outcomes as participants start reaping the benefits.
A trader, Muhammad Nasrullah Ramli, 39, said the IPR-INSAN has greatly helped increase his family’s income, generating RM1,000 to RM1,500 a month through a vending machine business.
“I offer a variety of self-prepared foods, including nasi lemak, fried noodles, sandwiches and kuih, priced between RM1 and RM5 through a vending machine place at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Tapah,” he said when interviewed by Bernama recently.
Muhammad Nasrullah, who still operates his roadside stall in Kampung Mak Teh Tapah Road, said that food vending machines at universities give students the option to purchase ready-made meals at affordable prices.
“I will place food at 6 am daily and replenish them with fresh food at noon as per the Health Ministry’s (MOH) recommendation.
“The first month was a bit challenging, but after three months of operation, alhamdulillah, there has been an improvement. I plan to diversify the food offerings in the vending machine,” he said.
Another participant, Muhammad Farid Che Lazim, 26, from Pasir Mas, Kelantan, said he operates a food vending machine at the Kinta District and Land Office located in Kampung Manjoi near here.
“I applied for the IPR programme in June last year, and the entire process was all done online. It wasn’t too difficult as long as we met the set criteria.
“Among the items sold are nasi lemak telur mata, fried noodles, sandwiches, various types of kuih, and canned and boxed drinks. I cook all these foods myself, and they will be replenished every six hours according to the prescribed procedure,” he said.
In addition to his participation in the IPR, Muhammad Farid operates a food stall in Taman Perpaduan here that sells various types of East Coast cuisine, yielding an income of about RM1,500 per month.
“Within just a month of joining this programme, I had already achieved sales of around RM1,300.
“I feel very happy when I get such decent sales revenue. It increases my family’s income, and at the same time, I can still manage my food stall,” said Muhammad Farid, who is married and has a son.
Meanwhile, a part-time religious teacher at a Sekolah Rendah Agama in Ipoh managed to earn a profit of RM13,000 since venturing into the vending machine business in mid-September last year at the Ipoh Railway Station.
Ismail Awang, 36, who hails from Kuala Kangsar, explained that the business not only saves time but also helps ease his cost of living burden.
“It greatly helps me generate extra income without having to be at the location for too long. I also receive notifications via the vending machine app if the food supply runs out.
“The food sold through this machine is mostly homemade and priced under RM5. Among them are chicken burgers, sandwiches, cakes, spaghetti and nasi lemak,” he said, adding that he emphasised food quality to ensure that the income generated through the machine meets the set targets.
The IPR self-service machine programme was launched by Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli in March last year.
Under INSAN, the beneficiary will be provided with a vending machine at a dedicated location, and the monthly rental of between RM600 and RM800 will be fully covered by the government for two years.
The programme aims to empower participants to earn between RM2,000 and RM2,500 per month during the 24-month monitoring period, and subsequently generate their own income through the profits earned.
