Nurul Izzah showing 1Malaysia store goods not as cheap as other hypermarket.
Several Pakatan Rakyat MPs questioned the prices of goods sold at the Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) outlets, alleging that some are not as cheap as advertised to the public.
Pakatan MPs who brought samples of grocery products to Parliament to prove their point today said while some products were indeed cheaper, some on the other hand, were not.
Tony Pua (DAP-Petaling Jaya Utara) said the items – ranging from canned sardines to dish-washing liquid – were priced higher than certain hypermarkets.
"The price difference for most products is far off from the claims of 30%-50% less," Pua told a press conference.
KR1M was mooted in June to tackle the rising cost of living, and to introduce 250 '1Malaysia' products that were to be 30% to 40% cheaper than other goods in the market.
"While some products are indeed cheaper, the (percentage of) price difference for most products is far less than the claims of 30% to 50% discount.
"For a one-litre bottle of 1Malaysia brand bleach, the 1Malaysia shop charges consumers RM1.90, claiming huge savings of 36%.
"However, one can easily purchase the one-litre Carrefour or Tesco brand bleach for only RM1.29, which is 47% cheaper than the one in the 1Malaysia shop," said Pua.
Also present was Nurul Izzah Anwar (PKR-Lembah Pantai) who said a RM40 million subsidy was given to KR1M to open up 85 stores and for advertisements.
"However, this is not reflected in the pricing of the products. How will the government justify the RM40 million?" she asked.
