Latest news with #AlexSoon
Daily Express
13-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
SAPP to assist local retailers on Sara
Published on: Friday, June 13, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 13, 2025 Text Size: Those interested can contact Gee Tien Siong (pic) (010-932 7688), Alex Soon (013-540 2288) or email [email protected] for guidance and assistance. Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has pledged to assist local small and medium retailers in participating in the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) cashless aid programme. This was conveyed during a meeting between SAPP and MyKasih Foundation, where both sides discussed ways to increase retailer involvement in Sabah. Advertisement SAPP was represented by Deputy President Datuk Richard Yong We Kong, Vice President Gee Tien Siong and Supreme Councillor Alex Soon Kak Foh. The Sara programme, funded by the Federal Ministry of Finance, supports 506,000 recipients in Sabah with monthly assistance ranging from RM50 to RM200 each household. A total of 446 merchants are now participating in Sabah, with at least a few outlets in each district, solving the initial accessibility issue. SAPP noted that many smaller retailers remain uninformed or unsure about the registration process and pledged to help bridge this gap. Yong stressed that local SMEs must not be left out of national aid programmes and deserve full access to economic opportunities. SAPP and MyKasih agreed to cooperate in raising awareness and expanding merchant participation to ensure broader community benefit. Only officially registered businesses with a valid company bank account are eligible to join the programme. Participating outlets will be provided with terminals and connection data. Sales revenue will be reimbursed by MyKasih Foundation on a twice a week basis, every Monday and Friday. According to information provided by the MyKasih team, the foundation currently has recorded 94,000 Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) codes for eligible products, and retailers may apply to include relevant SKUs based on their available inventory. To improve accuracy and product availability, MyKasih recommends retailers submit SKU applications themselves rather than relying on manufacturers. About 93 per cent of recipients in Sabah have utilised their Sara aid, compared to 72 per cent in Semenanjung Malaysia. Those interested can contact Gee Tien Siong (010-932 7688), Alex Soon (013-540 2288) or email [email protected] for guidance and assistance. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Borneo Post
26-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
MyKasih puts pressure on Sabah retailers - SAPP
Alex Soon TAWAU (May 26): The federal government's MyKasih aid programme, while aimed at helping Low-income groups ease their living costs, has unintentionally increased the operational pressure on Sabah's local small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially retailers, due to restrictions on product categories and merchant qualifications. Pointing this out in a statement on Monday, Alex Soon, Supreme Councillor Tawau Sri Tanjong CLC Chairman, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), said under the programme, except for eggs, fresh agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits, and meat cannot be purchased using the subsidy. Each eligible household is entitiled for RM50 to RM200 per month allowance, and the programme will continue until the end of this year. Its impact is wide-ranging and long-term. More critically, Alex said only large retail chains are equipped with the systems required to support the MyKad cashless credit system. The vast majority of local SMEs are unable to participate. 'This has directly caused small retailers to lose customers and suffer sharp drops in sales. Many grocery shops are unable to sell even basic goods like rice, cooking oil, and milk for an entire month, leading to severe inventory backlogs,' he said. Despite this, he said the Sabah Minister of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship (MIDE) has yet to respond or propose any solution, and has instead been making frequent official overseas visits. This has triggered concern and dissatisfaction within the industry. While the MyKasih programme has indeed benefitted vulnerable groups, he said its implementation has also eroded the market share of local SMEs and disrupted the existing supply chain ecosystem. 'This kind of arrangement livens up already-thriving hypermarkets, while marginalising small retailers.' Alex said MIDE must urgently face this issue and coordinate with the relevant federal agencies to ensure SMEs are not excluded from aid policies. At the same time, supporting measures must be put in place to ease market imbalance, maintain the diversity and resilience of the local economic cosystem, and prevent local SMEs from being completely eliminated or disappearing in this wave.
