Grab Malaysia expands digital reach for Pasar Tani vendors through strengthened Fama partnership

PETALING JAYA, Oct 2 — Grab Malaysia has deepened its collaboration with the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) to further digitise Malaysia’s traditional markets, bringing 18 new vendors from the newly launched Pasar Tani Kekal Putrajaya onto its platform.

This move marks a significant milestone in Grab’s ongoing efforts to support the agrifood sector through technology.

Since the partnership began in 2023, nearly 300 vendors across more than 30 Pasar Tani and Pasar Tani Kekal locations in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Johor Bahru have joined GrabMart and GrabFood. The initiative has enabled merchants to expand their customer base beyond walk-in traffic, offering fresh produce and food & beverage items to a wider audience via on-demand delivery.

Empowering local Commerce

Tan Jiong Jian, director of commercial and deliveries at Grab Malaysia, emphasised the company’s commitment to uplifting local businesses:  

“Guided by our ethos of #GrabBersamaMalaysia, we continuously seek ways to leverage technology and innovation to drive meaningful change for the communities we serve. In collaboration with Fama, we are empowering local businesses through the Grab platform – making it accessible and simple to come online, be discovered, and sell. The aim is to help them grow by elevating their economic potential, offering wider visibility while making purchasing even more convenient and seamless for consumers. We are proud to play a role in advancing Malaysia’s agrifood industry while supporting the livelihoods of local farmers and vendors.” 

Echoing this sentiment, Fama Director General Abdul Rashid bin Bahri noted:  

“Fama is committed to working with partners such as Grab Malaysia to optimise their complementary capabilities to strengthen marketing and sales avenues for our local agriculture and agrifood businesses. By incorporating modern approaches such as on-demand deliveries, we can continuously improve economic value and income potential for local, traditional market vendors, in turn attracting new participants in this critical sector.”

Pasar Incubator Project: Nurturing growth

As part of its broader support strategy, Grab is launching the Pasar Incubator Project at Pasar Tani Kekal Datin Halimah in Johor Bahru. The initiative includes a tailored GrabMasterclass programme to equip vendors with digital skills and business tools available on the GrabMerchant platform.

Voices from the ground

For vendors like Muhammad Nur Iman Bin Aminunnajmi and his mother Julaidah binti Mohd Po’at, the transition to digital has been transformative. Operating Barangan Kering Julaidah in Johor Bahru, they’ve seen a 12 per cent sales increase since joining Grab in October 2024.  

“It was exciting to join the digital economy and gain knowledge on new ways of selling. The Grab platform is so user-friendly – I quickly became well-versed with the system, and even my mother who is less digitally-savvy is now comfortable using the GrabMerchant app. We used to depend on walk-in customers during weekends. With Grab, we get online traffic every day we operate. Since last year, we have already recorded approximately 12 per cent growth in sales, thanks to the platform,” said Muhammad.

Meanwhile, Norlizawati binti Abdul Sukur, who has run Norliza Sayur in Selayang since 1998, shared her experience after joining Grab in May 2025:  

“Initially I was unsure about joining a digital platform, but the Grab team’s in-person assistance during the activation process and care in addressing all our questions significantly alleviated my worries. Being able to join an existing system like Grab was also a great help, I didn’t need to build my own e-commerce system or manage logistics, I could just focus my full attention on provision of goods and making sales. In the past, I tried other ways to improve sales, as we don’t get sufficient walk-in customers daily. Now, with Grab, I have achieved 20 per cent sales growth. Having access to Grab’s online customer base really helps.”

A digital future for traditional markets

Grab Malaysia’s expanded partnership with Fama signals a promising shift for traditional vendors, offering them tools to thrive in the digital economy while preserving the cultural vibrancy of Malaysia’s pasar tani landscape.