Private sector worker generates extra monthly income of RM8,000 under IPR
Published on: Sunday, April 28, 2024
By: Bernama
University students lined up to buy food through the People's Income Initiative (IPR) vending machine located in one of the campuses. - Bernama
SUNGAI PETANI: Before joining the People's Income Initiative (IPR), a private sector worker struggled to support his family of three, but can breathe easier now as he brings home an extra income of between RM5,000 and RM8,000 per month.
Mohd Asyraf Azhan, 29, earns this lucrative income compared to his monthly salary of RM2,000 by participating in the Food Entrepreneur Initiative (Insan) under IPR, selling food items and beverages through a vending machine.
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The father of one said he felt fortunate to have this opportunity to supplement his income through the initiative starting last year.
Mohd Asyraf said he was interested in learning more about IPR after seeing the information about the initiative posted by Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli on his social media account.
"From there, I logged on to IPR's website and filled out the application form…A week later, I was called to attend a meeting before they told me my application was approved.
"To start this business, I spent about RM200 to RM300 and now I can generate around RM5,000 to RM8,000 per month," he told Bernama in Merbok, near here, today.
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According to Mohd Asyraf, his wife, Fatin Nabilah Jaafar, 29, would prepare the food items daily, such as nasi lemak, burgers, and sausage rolls, before they place them in the vending machine in the morning and evening located at the Kedah campus of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) campus in Merbok since August last year.
He said the food items are sold at Rahmah prices of between RM2 and RM5 per pack and RM1 and RM2 for beverages.
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"Previously, I did part-time work selling frozen kuih…to me, using vending machines to sell food is easier and saves time and energy. We cook and pack at home, put them in the vending machine but we place great importance on the food quality," he said.
Mohd Asyraf said that with the rise in the prices of goods, they need to be smart in finding opportunities to generate income through government initiatives.
He expressed gratitude to the Economy Ministry and the Madani government for providing initiatives for the people to raise their income.
Meanwhile, according to the IPR programme coordinator for the Kuala Muda district, Nor Tasnim Kamarul, the district has four IPR participants.
"The concept is one vending machine for one family…and so far we have three vending machines placed on campus at Kedah UiTM and one more at the Sungai Petani KTM station. We plan to add three or four more machines at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital," she said while urging those in the B40 group to join the initiative.
She said they would select locations with high-traffic areas with a large number of potential customers and ensure the location of the vending machines are not too close to each other so that the participants can maximise their income.
IPR, launched by Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli in February last year, aims to assist the poor, hardcore poor, and those in the B40 group to generate sustainable income.
The initiative involves cooperation between the government, people, and strategic partners, which aligns with the national approach outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan and the Madani policy framework's compassion (Ihsan) principle.
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