I am very concerned regarding adverse developments in the case of Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M), which impacts the livelihood of hundreds or maybe even thousands of Malaysian workers.
In the most recent statement by the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Hamzah Zainudin, the fate of the KR1M workers lie in the hands of the company handling it, Mydin Mohamed Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Meanwhile in previous reports, Mydin Managing Director, Ameer Ali Mydin has claimed that the government project has caused massive losses for the company.
It seems both parties have refused to take responsibility for the mess, with the government blaming Mydin for increasing prices while Mydin, a profit-making company, has said the venture is mere CSR.
Like many other 1Malaysia project, the Najib Razak administration has failed to comprehensively plan the initiative and as a result a lot of people is negatively impacted by its failure.
The underlying issue is the increase in costs of living – the introduction of GST and low wages – that must be overcome.
The government must take responsibility for these blunders.
