ALOR STAR: People in the B40 group and students lauded the government's Menu Rahmah initiative, which is providing them with better value for money meals.
Consumers met at Mydin Hypermarket in Alor Mengkudu here said the quality of the menu was way better than what they had expected for a budget meal.
Muhammad Asyraf Azli, 25, who was lining up to get a meal with his 6-year-old son said the initiative would allow him to save more than RM300 per month on food.
"Food here in Kedah is not as expensive as in Kuala Lumpur or any other major city, but getting a complete meal like the one here would usually cost RM6.50 without the drinks.
"I often come here with my family, so usually spending for dine-outs would be quite expensive elsewhere but here I know that it would always cost RM4.90. It makes financial management easier," he said.
Asyraf, who does off jobs to earn a living, also raved about the Menu Rahmah initiative for serving up a variety of nutritious and delicious meals, ensuring that he and his family would not get bored by the same meals.
"Usually you can get 'Nasi Bajet' for cheap, but that gets old very quickly... it's also not a complete meal in terms of nutrition, so I really appreciate the choices they provide here," he added.
Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia student Ikhwan Naim, 19, who works part-time at a nearby grocery store, said the Menu Rahmah deals were gaining popularity quickly amongst his peers.
"This initiative has gotten the attention of younger generation because there's been a lot of campaigning for it online.
"Now that it's available here, many of my friends and colleagues have planned to fully capitalise on the initiative.
"I hope the initiative will be expanded to local universities as well because some students would skip meals due to budget constraints," he said.
Housewife Noratirah Othman, 23, from Alor Kancut, said she was satisfied with the quality and services provided, which blew away her expectations.
"Some people may get the idea that because it is cheaper, it's not a high quality meal but I can vouch that the meals here are much better than what most expect.
"It's nicely cooked, there's a good balance of vegetables, some protein in it and enough carbs to satisfy one's cravings.
"As someone from the B40 income group, I'm grateful that the government has rolled out the initiative. I think they are really looking after the rakyat, especially the B40," she added.
Meanwhile, Kedah Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar said he expects the initiative to be expanded to ensure that everyone regardless of their social background could benefit from it.
"I hope more traders will join this initiative and InsyaAllah, it will become a trend. People will rush to find food from the Menu Rahmah and this will increase participation in the programme from traders from different communities.
"We wish to see traders from other communities such as Mamak restaurants, Thai food restaurants, Indian food traders, Chinese kopitiams would jointly contribute to the community and as a result, their business would profit as well," he told reporters after visiting Menu Rahmah sales at Mydin Hypermarket here.
He also said he hoped the initiative would be able to provide significant relief to Malaysians who are struggling to cope with the rising cost of living.