SUNGAI PETANI, March 13 (Bernama) -- Approximately 300 residents in Sungai Layar here thronged the Rahmah Madani Sale organised by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) at Masjid Al Majidi here this morning.

A survey by Bernama observed that the crowd was unfazed by the scorching heat, and kept entering the tents to queue for essentials sold at prices 10 to 30 percent lower than market rates.

Senior citizen Puteh Samsuddin, a 70-year-old beverage vendor, said that she arrived at 10 am to obtain groceries such as sugar, rice, and beverages.

"It's cheap here; rice is RM14 per five-kg pack compared to RM18 elsewhere, and cordial drinks are RM4 compared to RM6. It significantly helps the people here save on expenses," she said.

Meanwhile, housewife, Haslinda Ismail, 34, shared that she purchased groceries and essentials for use throughout Ramadan, particularly rice, sugar, detergent, salted fish, and soy sauce.

Haslinda highlighted that the programme was eagerly awaited, given its location in the community area, and it was convenient to just ride their motorcycles here.

"I came to buy salted fish and essentials for Ramadan. I hope there will be more such programmes because it helps us save compared to buying at grocery stores," said the mother of three from Kampung Sungai Hujung.

Despite experiencing some fatigue from fasting, 64-year-old Rokiah Arshad expressed her determination to come and purchase essential items to save some money.

"We wish there could be more events like this during Ramadan because the things are cheap, and it helps us save money. We're thankful to the government for caring about the people's well-being," she said with gratitude.

-- BERNAMA