LETTER | Open letter to Rafizi Ramli

LETTER | I am writing this letter with reference to Malaysiakini’s opinion column entitled “Seeing ourselves as creators, not merely consumers” published on April 13.

Recently, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli introduced the idea of selling nasi lemak through a vending machine. While the idea may seem innovative at first glance, most Malaysians are not used to buying nasi lemak through a vending machine.

Vending machines are more suitable for selling snacks, and bottled or canned drinks which have a longer shelf life than a nasi lemak which has a shelf life of one day before becoming unsuitable for consumption.

There are other ways to improve the food and beverage industry to create more value for consumers while encouraging entrepreneurship and better income generation.

Listed below are my suggestions:

1) Encourage homemade food industry

There are thousands of housewives in the country who are good at cooking but are unable to monetise their expertise in cooking, baking and making pastries. Perhaps the government can encourage the homemade cooking industry with homemade food delivered by GrabFood, Foodpanda or Shopee Food. It can be done at different levels:

Small-scale homemade cooking

A housewife can cook around 20-25 packets of meals a day. Let’s say she gets a profit of RM1.50-RM2 per meal, which means she can generate RM45 - 60 a day.

Community cooking

A group of housewives can pool their resources and do community cooking for between 50 and 100 meals a day. The profit generated can be shared between the housewives.

Catering

A group of food entrepreneurs can cater for 100 or more workers of a company within an area with the food delivered during lunchtime. Companies like GrabFood, Foodpanda or Shopee Food can become logistic partners by providing modified vans for food delivery instead of individual riders.

To ensure the success of the homemade cooking industry, housewives can be trained in food handling, food safety and food packaging by the relevant agencies.

2) Interactive apps

The success of the homemade food industry depends on consumers knowing the variety of food that is available in a certain area.

The government can encourage local application developers to develop applications to connect consumers with food sellers in that particular area.

That said, even technology giant Google can join in the fray with their Google Maps to search for food from anywhere in Malaysia and perhaps even organise a virtual food fair during special occasions.

3) Encourage food tourism

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, there were many food fairs where Malaysians and tourists were able to sample the best food in Malaysia.

Perhaps the government and relevant business chambers can start organising general or specific food fairs at specific locations in Malaysia to attract the attention of foodies and generate revenue.

4) Malaysian food awards

The government can come up with their own food awards for the industry similar to Michelin. The Michelin Awards are run by foreigners who may not understand the taste and preferences of local Malaysians.

For a start, the government can set up their own panel of experts who will set the criteria while allowing the general public to vote for their favourite restaurant and cuisine.

5) New business models

Established restaurants in the industry can try new business models like the “takeaway and delivery” model to maximise resources while delivering value.

Under this model, a particular restaurant can function to receive and prepare food for takeaway and delivery only without the need to allocate space for dine-in.

It is my sincere hope that my suggestions above will help create a value-driven, vibrant and sustainable food and beverage industry in Malaysia.

The author is the founder and CEO of Sivaji Foundation, a foundation dedicated to building a better Malaysia.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.