Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, domestic trade and cost of living minister Armizan Mohd Ali acknowledged that rising costs have made it difficult for some traders to continue offering Menu Rahmah meals.

“For this reason, we are in discussions (on the matter). Though, we will not be providing direct subsidies to the traders,” he said in his winding-up speech for the Supply Bill 2025 today.

“We are considering giving traders in targeted areas access to bulk purchasing through the Rahmah Madani Sales Programme (PJRM), but this will be based on criteria such as the traders’ consistency in offering Menu Rahmah.”

Instead of a nationwide expansion, Armizan said the government is “profiling” specific areas where the initiative is most needed.

He was responding to Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya) who wanted an update on Menu Rahmah’s reach.

Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) then asked if the shift to a targeted approach meant the government was acknowledging that a nationwide rollout was impractical.

Armizan said the government wanted to introduce Menu Rahmah in specific areas, such as those with factory workers and low-cost housing communities.

“Using PJRM, even if Menu Rahmah is not expanded nationwide, it will still exist as an alternative for those in need.”

The Menu Rahmah initiative was introduced on Jan 31 last year. Under the initiative, meals for lunch or dinner are offered for as low as RM5 at over 15,000 outlets nationwide.

The programme was expected to expand further, with efforts to involve more food vendors and ensure that meals are available nationwide.