DOMESTIC Trade and Cost of Living Minister Salahuddin Ayub said as of today a total of 1,531 businesses have registered to be part of the Menu Rahmah initiative nationwide.

The number is expected to increase from time to time.

He said of the total, 105 food outlets in Sabah have participated in the initiative, including a hotel in Sandakan, which is the first hotel in the country to offer an accommodation package with Rahmah prices throughout Ramadan.

“Hence, the ministry is calling on more players, especially the food and retail industries in Sabah, to work together with the government to help ease the people’s burden,” he said after launching the Menu Rahmah at the BTC Bistro in Inanam today.

Salahuddin said Menu Rahmah is the government’s latest initiative to help reduce the cost of living, especially for those in need of balanced meals, at a price of RM5 and below.

“Menu Rahmah is a voluntary initiative of private entities where the government does not determine the price, implementation method, ingredients, and side dishes for the Menu Rahmah offered, as long as it is a balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates and fibre.

“Based on feedback from participating traders, Menu Rahmah has been a crowd-puller business model to attract customers to their premises.

“Therefore, their income can be increased through the sales volume that can accommodate the reduction in margins and at the same time help those in need,” he added.

In that regard, he said the government is always committed to helping promote establishments that provide Menu Rahmah.

He added that the ministry has created a portal to enable the public to get information on the location of nearby Menu Rahmah outlets, and traders can also register their participation here. – Bernama, March 12, 2023.