TAWAU: The MySaveFood Ramadan program saved 52,869.5 kilograms (kg) of food worth RM644,332.18 during this year’s 20-day implementation of the Bazar Ramadan Rahmah (BRR).
The Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), Senator Dr. Fuziah Salleh, said that the program, which involved 2,138 volunteers, was carried out in collaboration with the GEMA Malaysia Youth Organization (GEMA) and the Student Consumer Movement (GPS) across 123 bazaars nationwide.
According to her, MySaveFood in Sabah started in Keningau last year and has now expanded to Kota Kinabalu, Papar, Beaufort, and Tawau. 65 GPS members from 12 institutions, including Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and UiTM Sabah, among others, participate.
“This program aims to raise awareness about food waste management and help those in need, in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030 and achieve Zero Hunger,” she said.
She added that GPS members from Tawau Teacher Training Institute, Tawau Polytechnic, and Tawau Community College, who carried out the program at BRR Sabindo Plaza, managed to save around 400 kg of food for this district alone on Thursday.
She shared this information at a press conference on Friday during her Friday field visit to BRR Sabindo Plaza.
The visit also included monitoring the implementation of the Rahmah Madani Sales Program (PJRM) Raya at Gemilang Supermarket and inspecting a cooking oil packaging company as part of her visit to the Sabah Zone.
She stated that the current KPDN field visit focuses on three objectives: empowering BRR through the Rahmah menu and digitalization under the Rahmah Madani Umbrella initiative, addressing food waste through the MySaveFood Ramadan program, and enforcing Ops Pantau 2025 to protect consumers.
Meanwhile, she noted that as of March 20, 2025, 2,063 traders nationwide, including 122 traders across 13 BRR locations in Sabah, offered the Rahmah Menu for RM5 and below.
According to her, BRR 2025 introduced the Retail Digitalization Initiative (ReDI), which provides cashless incentives to traders and bazaar visitors. Through an RM20 e-wallet, 159,720 users benefitted.
The number of users is expected to increase by the end of Ramadan.
Fuziah also shared that Ops Pantau enforcement recorded 51,266 inspections nationwide, resulting in 274 cases and 1,128 complaints. As of March 21, 2025, KPDN issued 262 fines totaling RM59,500.
In Sabah, she said 3,662 inspections were conducted across 10 districts, including 711 inspections in Tawau, leading to action against three cases under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (AKHAP) for the absence of price tags.
“Another case was recorded under the Weights and Measures Act 1972 for unverified weighing equipment during Ops Pantau 2025,” she said.
Elaborating further, she said that the field visit demonstrated KPDN’s commitment to ensuring consumer welfare through reasonable prices, reducing food waste, and protecting consumer interests throughout Ramadan.
She said that this collaborative effort helps alleviate the burden on the people and ensures a fair, sustainable, and responsible business ecosystem.
