SUNGAI BESAR, March 20 — Some 8.1 tonnes of food and beverages worth RM116,000 have been salvaged from Ramadan bazaars nationwide during the first six days of fasting this year.
Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Minister Fuziah Salleh said the initiative was carried out through the MySaveFood programme by the ministry in strategic cooperation with the Gema Malaysia Youth Organisation (Gema).
"Last year, we implemented MySaveFood at 55 Ramadan bazaars across the country and saved 25 tonnes of food and beverages from being wasted with a value of over RM281,000," she told the press after launching the Selangor state-level MySaveFood programme at the Sungai Besar Ramadan bazaar today.
Fuziah said the programme was implemented in Selangor with participation from Politeknik Sultan Idris Shah (PSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and Universiti Islam Selangor, and is managed by the Student Consumer Movement (GPS) of PSIS, Sabak Bernam, an active community under the Selangor KPDN Consumer Movement.
"Through GPS, the Selangor KPDN appointed a head of the bazaar who is responsible for managing MySaveFood operations like collecting and distributing unsold food and drinks for free to target groups including university students, the homeless, welfare homes, and houses of worship," she said.
Meanwhile, the deputy minister said the Selangor KPDN via strategic collaborations with local authorities implemented Bazar Ramadan Rahmah (BRR) in four locations, namely the Ramadan bazaars at Lotus’s outlets in Kuala Selangor, Sungai Besar, Kuala Kubu Bharu, and Kuala Langat.
BRR does not involve any financial allocation where so far, over 40 per cent of the traders involved at the four locations offered the Rahmah Menu, which is food and drinks sold at RM5 and below.
— Bernama
