Most Malaysians have felt it. The grocery run that used to cost RM80 now costs RM110. Prices on everyday essentials have crept up quietly, and for brands that haven’t raised prices outright, many have simply shrunk their packs instead. Same price, less inside.
So it caught people’s attention when Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ) visited a neighbourhood kedai runcit and found something most weren’t expecting.
One of Malaysia’s most prominent voices walked into a kedai runcit, and here’s what he found
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To take a closer look at everyday goods, Khairy Jamaluddin decided to visit a neighbourhood kedai runcit to check on the current prices of daily necessities. Recorded by his camera crew, we can clearly notice that essentials such as vegetables and rice have raised their prices — most likely a result of rising costs.
We’ve reported on the hot topic issue of inflation before, and for many Malaysians, the effects are still daunting even now as they more often come across higher prices in stores as KJ did.
He went to the snacks aisle where something caught his eye. He picked up a few Mamee products and began to check the prices to see if they has been increased, only to realise that they’re the same unlike other products.
Then he went to check out other products, including a pack of 5 Mamee Noodles which not only maintained its price, but they also threw in 1 extra free packet for added value.
KJ commented: “Here is a local company that actually listens to the complaints of Malaysians who are dealing with the rising prices of goods and tougher cost of living.”
Indeed, for any common Malaysian, coming across one or two products still similarly priced amidst economically troubling times would be quite the silver lining. Therefore, seeing a brand stand firm with its prices during an inflation period is a big breath of fresh air for most people.
But the commentary by KJ doesn’t end there, he decided to continue the exploration of the topic by calling the Group CEO at MAMEE-Double Decker (M) Sdn Bhd, Pierre Pang.
Extending more than 50 years of trust
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KJ, who was curious about Mamee’s move, called up Group CEO Pierre Pang to join the Keluar Sekejap podcast, where they discussed what’s been going on behind the scenes with the brand. This was when Pierre opened up about the Mamee Model.
“The premise of Mamee, from then [1971] until now, is always on providing great quality products that rival the biggest global multinationals,” he elaborated. “But the price has to be reasonable so that ordinary Malaysians can enjoy it. Great quality products and great value are always the ethos of what we do.”
Political and economic crises are affecting companies all around the globe, thus, maintaining prices would set Mamee back millions of ringgit in additional costs every month. Regardless, the brand is willing to get hit at the margin so Malaysians don’t feel it in stores.
With all this in mind, the Keluar Sekejap podcast raises a question most Malaysians might have: “Why not just raise prices like everyone else?” Pierre’s answer was simple.
“Being a generational business, we want to have this company cross 100 years of existence,” he answered. “If that is our main goal, then we have to earn and invest in Malaysians’ trust.”
Netizens reacted — and so did we
A lot of commenters said they can get behind this initiative by Mamee, giving positive feedback to the brand’s move.
“Good on the [Group] CEO of Mamee, a very visionary person,” one commenter said. “Support local brand, support Mamee.”
Another user commented: “If there was a Mamee party, I would vote for them.”
Another viewer gave a glowing comment praising Pierre and the session of Keluar Sekejap. “This kind of informative promotion is what we want. We could learn a lot from this,” he pointed out. “They’re clear on the mission, vision, and direction of the brand by building a positive narrative and being dead set on their target market. Congratulations, Pierre and Mamee.”
All in all, we think a lot of Malaysians can agree with these sentiments — getting more value from a brand’s products during a cost-of-living crisis is a relief, especially when most other brands would go down the easy route of just quietly raising prices.
The Mamee Model: Same price, higher value!
No coupons, no app downloads. Just walk into a store and find the same old childhood snacks at the same price.
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