Saturday January 17, 2009
Buy Malaysian goods, urges PM
By JANE RITIKOS
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should buy locally-made products especially when facing a global economic slowdown, says Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The Prime Minister said Malaysians should cast aside their prejudice against local products which had in fact gained recognition for their quality and were well-received abroad.
“Try it because you might like it. I myself decided one day to try it and discovered they were not bad. Without trying you wouldn’t know and once you try you might become a local consumer,” he said.
He said this at the launch of the year-long Buy Malaysian campaign which was simultaneously launched at the Mydin Mall in Subang Jaya, 1 Borneo Mall in Kota Kinabalu and Boulevard in Kuching via teleconferencing yesterday.
Promoting local products: Abdullah taking a look around Mydin Mall in Subang Jaya yesterday after launching the Buy Malaysian campaign. With him are Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad and Mydin Hypermarket managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin (right). — Bernama He also launched the new “Buy Malaysia – Smart Choice” logo during the event.
Abdullah said one measure to stimulate the domestic economy was to boost local production, especially since the economic slowdown in other countries had affected exports.
“We want Malaysians to buy in larger quantities. We have such as wide variety of local products – food, cosmetics, medicines, fruits and clothing – produced by the small and medium enterprises,” he said.
Abdullah said when Malaysians bought more the local products, it would boost production and growth of the local manufacturing sector.
The manufacturers would in turn strive to improve their quality and variety as there would be competition.
Competition would then push manufacturers to come up with better quality products that could be sold at a lower price, he added.
“And when the economy improves and foreign demand resumes, we will be stronger to compete in the global market,” he said.
In Kuching, Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud called on retailers to maintain or reduce their prices during the economic slowdown so as not to burden consumers.
“I have been informed that Boulevard Hypermarket is reducing the prices of 72 items. This is a good move and should be emulated by others,” he said during the simultaneous launch of the Buy Malaysian programme at Boulevard Shopping Mall.
News Poll
- Teacher held for oral sex on Year Two girl
- Lau sought psychiatrist’s help after death of fan’s dad
- Police shoot dead leader of ‘Berong Gang’
- Australian court sentences Malaysian who posed as taxi driver
- Teoh Beng Hock exhumed for second autopsy (Update)
- Foreign woman falls to death at high-end condo
- Prime Minister comes up with plan to end crisis in MCA
- 15-year-old held for trying to kill mum with acid-laced sarong
- Indonesia seizes 75tons of explosive material from M’sia
- Fresh polls in six to eight months if new mechanism used
- Australian court sentences Malaysian who posed as taxi driver
- Teacher held for oral sex on Year Two girl
- 10 states see increase in number of dengue cases
- AirAsia launches new flights to three Indian cities
- Teoh Beng Hock exhumed for second autopsy (Update)
- Lau sought psychiatrist’s help after death of fan’s dad
- Prime Minister comes up with plan to end crisis in MCA
- Take care of yourself first
- Police shoot dead leader of ‘Berong Gang’
- Our diversity is a blessing, says PM
RSS
