SABAH GRABS SECOND PLACE IN SHOP AWARDS

AWARD...... Minister of Community Development and Consumer Affairs Datuk Azizah Mohd. Dun (middle) presenting the 1Malaysia People's Choice Shop award to the Manager of Wah Yoon Textile Putatan, David Phang (right), watched by Director of Sabah Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry Noor Alam Khan A. Wahid Khan (left).

By : FIZAH YUSOF

A TOTAL of 1,449 business premises nationwide received the 1Malaysia People’s Choice Shop Awards. Sabah won second place and winners representing 149 business premises received their awards here at Maksak Hall in Likas, recently.

The awards formerly known as the Fair Price Shop Awards come under six categories that include consumer goods, food, gadgets, personal grooming, information and supermarket.

Datuk Hajah Azizah Mohd Dun, Minister of Community Development and Consumer Affairs who officiated the event said the 1Malaysia People’s Choice Shop Awards were created to identify, assess and acknowledge business premises that sell goods at reasonable prices.

"The awards are intended to motivate the traders around Malaysia to improve the quality of the goods that they sell as well as improve their services. The aim is also to encourage shop owners to provide conducive premises for customers," she said.

Azizah said that the awards also help consumers to identify which shops they can choose. The selection process was based on 50 per cent of votes from the public and the rest from a jury appointed by the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism.

Among the recipients were Wah Yoon Textile Putatan, Emporium Ramai-Ramai Sdn Bhd Lahad Datu, Yung Siang Ent. Sdn. Bhd. Membakut, CNF Hypermarket Sdn Bhd Beaufort, D'Mart Semporna, Fantastica Cafe Ranau, Q Bread Bakery and many more.

Azizah pointed out that according to the Statistics Department the average monthly household expenditure of Malaysians is RM2,465 in urban areas, made up of 33 per cent spent on food, clothing as well as various goods and services.

She said according to the Bank Negara of Malaysia the salaries of Malaysians increased by 4 per cent last year and the World Bank has put Malaysia in 12th place out of 185 countries as a business-friendly destination, better than several developed countries such as Sweden, Germany and Japan.

"The economic prosperity enjoyed by the people is a result of the government's efficiency in managing the country," she said. (Insight Sabah)