BUKIT GANTANG, March 4 — The Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) has allocated RM2.4 million to set up 10 mobile shops which will ply 50 parliamentary constituencies across the country from next month.

Its chairman Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was expected to launch the mobile shop programme in Sepang, Selangor at the end of this month.

He said the programme had been proposed by LKIM and approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries.

"We will have the mobile shops serve locations with an LKIM office and Area Fishermen’s Association to sell various basic necessities and fish,” he said at a news conference after the Prihatin Bukit Gantang Mobile Shop Programme at the Sungai Kerang pasar malam site, Trong, near here, today.

At the event, one tonne of kembung fish was distributed to residents in the Trong area, with each of them receiving two kilogrammes of the fish for free.

Syed Abu Hussin, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bukit Gantang, said the mobile shops were a government effort to help people impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic to buy daily necessities at affordable prices and at 30 per cent discount.

He said for the Bukit Gantang constituency, he said it would be held six times in a month covering Trong, Kuala Sepetang and Changkat Jering.

"If there is a need, we will give out fish for free to the less fortunate,” he said, adding that free distribution of chicken and eggs had also been suggested after this amid the pandemic.

"We also provide food aid baskets to the needy,” he said. 

On fish supply at the markets, he said it was as usual and the prices were under control. — Bernama