KOTA KINABALU: Community Services and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun has congratulated Sabahan entrepreneurs who were awarded the Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry’s ‘Anugerah Kedai Pilihan Rakyat 1Malaysia’ (AKPR1M or 1Malaysia People’s Choice Shop Award) this year.
Azizah was happy and proud to note that with 149 recipients this year, Sabah ranked second behind Kuala Lumpur which had 162 recipients.
“This is a good achievement for Sabah and if we keep up the good work we can do better than Kuala Lumpur next year,” she said at the award presentation ceremony here yesterday.
Azizah said the effort by the Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry was a very good one as it motivated entrepreneurs not only in Sabah but throughout the country to improve the quality of products sold, their services and their premises so that they were more conducive.
“This programme can also improve Malaysia’s abilities as a global trading country,” she said, adding that with good services, tourists would also be interested to come and shop in Malaysia, and this augured well for the country’s revenue.
“The Barisan Nasional (BN) government has introduced many programmes to improve the service and quality of products of entrepreneurs in the country and the Kedai Pilihan 1Malaysia is just one of them,” she said.
According to Azizah, the BN government had also provided several incentives to the rakyat which had indirect effects on entrepreneurs among which were financial aid, such as BR1M, book vouchers and bonuses for civil servants.
“The financial aid gives consumers more spending power which will boost domestic economic activities and increase domestic demand. The Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry which is responsible in fulfilling consumers’ demand and managing business development must ensure that all the initiatives implemented will contribute towards a balanced business ecosystem in the country,” she said.
Azizah in urging local entrepreneurs to perform better next year, said Sabah was always ready for challenges.
“So it does not matter what programs are introduced, we can show the way towards realizing the objectives of the programs. Most importantly is that Sabahans are together with the government in its efforts to bring good to the people as well as the country.”
Meanwhile, state Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism director Noor Alam Khan A.Wahid Khan said 2,933 nominations had been received throughout the country for the six categories in the award this year.
“Of the total, 400 of the nominations were for businesses in Sabah and during the voting period from April to June, about 10,000 votes were received on-line,” he said, adding that the businesses were judged by a panel from the ministry which carried 50 points, and on-line voting on the ministry’s website made up the remaining 50 points.
Among the criteria the people voted on were the quality of the goods and premises.
Noor Alam, when asked to confirm allegations that Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) in Sabah were monopolized by one company, said it was not so.
“As of now, the company appointed is to implement the program. It is now open to anyone who is interested to start a KR1M business. We are also asking all members of parliament to identify the best area to open up KR1M in their constituency. That is our target for next year,” he said.
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