PM cuts short programme, heads south following MP Farid's death
Saturday, 21 Sep 20191:18 PM MYT
By RAZAK AHMAD
image: https://apicms.thestar.com.my/uploads/images/2019/09/21/284649.jpg
CYBERJAYA: The Prime Minister cut short his programme here on Saturday morning (Sept 21) in order to travel to Johor following the death of MSDatuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik.
The Prime Minister arrived in Cyberjaya at about 11am to attend a gathering of more than 20,000 members of cooperatives nationwide, but left after giving his speech.
He was calm and composed in delivering his speech at the event.
However, Dr Mahathir left the venue soon afterwards without visiting the Coop Trade City exhibition as scheduled.
The event organisers said the Prime Minister left as he needed to go to Johor.
An aide to Dr Mahathir informed the media at the event that the Prime Minister was saddened by the news that Dr Md Farid had passed on earlier in the morning between 5.30am and 6am at Hospital Pontian in Johor.
He added that Dr Mahahir was close to the Tanjung Piai MP, who was also the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
The aide said the Prime Minister had, in fact, just performed Friday prayers the day before with Dr Md Farid in Kuala Lumpur.
The gathering in Cyberjaya was held in conjunction with the countdown to the 100th year of the cooperative movement in 2022. The event was organised by the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia, an agency under the Entrepreneur Development Ministry.
In his speech, Dr Mahathir said the country’s cooperatives could actually play a big role in helping the B40 (bottom 40% of households) in urban and rural areas tackle the rising cost of living.
The Prime Minister also said he welcomed the implementation of the 100 Essential Goods (BA100) progeamme.
“The BA100 programme is a programme that is based on e-commerce. It will gather the essential goods bought by about 3,000 retail cooperatives nationwide on a wholesale basis according to demand, ” the Prime Minister said.
The BA100 programme, jointly organised by the Entrepreneur Development Ministry the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia and Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad (Angkasa), was approved by the Cabinet on August 29.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/09/21/pm-cuts-short-programme-heads-south-following-mp-farid039s-death#AzslbM9OShHLVuPb.99
