TAWAU: The government is enhancing its monitoring mechanisms to ensure essential goods remain sufficient to meet public demand under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah programme.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said real-time data will identify the most purchased items and prevent market supply disruptions.
“We are getting the data in real time,“ he told reporters after visiting a supermarket in Merotai to observe the redemption process.
“If redemption reaches a certain threshold, we can identify which categories of products are most in demand and work out to balance supply.”
Fahmi said rice supplies fall under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security’s purview, and he will request a stock assessment after the programme’s first week.
He announced that supply issues will be discussed in a meeting next Wednesday to develop a special mechanism for balancing stock availability based on location demand.
Local rice emerged as one of the most sought-after items during today’s survey, with stocks completely sold out due to high demand.
The Merotai state constituency currently has only two SARA redemption outlets, prompting a study to determine if more are needed based on requirements.
The programme began with approximately 700,000 recipients across more than 2,000 premises, which has now expanded to over 7,300 premises nationwide.
Fahmi believes the number of participating outlets can be further increased to better serve recipients.
He also highlighted the need for a dedicated hotline following complaints from both recipients and counter staff about occasional system disruptions. – Bernama
