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Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates. Former Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli is about to find out if his grand social experiment can survive the brutal reality of Malaysian retail—and he’s betting everything on meals under five ringgit. The Pandan MP is launching two stores under his Ayuh Malaysia initiative that sound almost too good to be true: Fleximart, opening on 1 November, promises ready-to-eat meals and groceries all under RM5. A week later, Kesum (a cheeky acronym for “kenyang, sedap, murah”—full, tasty, cheap) opens its doors serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same rock-bottom price point. But here’s where it gets interesting—Rafizi isn’t just playing grocery store owner. Refreshing Honesty: A Politician Who Admits He Might Fail He’s experimenting with a “social enterprise” model in which profits are split three ways: investors, workers, and the public. More profits mean higher wages for staff, with leftover cash pumped back into keeping prices low. “I don’t know if this model will work,” Rafizi admitted on Facebook, displaying the kind of brutal honesty rarely seen from politicians. My intention is to create more job opportunities for young people and help the public by offering food and goods at cheaper prices. Capitalism with a Conscience—Or Just Another Political Stunt? The locations tell their own story—Fleximart sits in Shah Alam’s Section 7 (next to a Speedmart, naturally), while Kesum plants itself in Pandan Indah, right in Rafizi’s own constituency. If these “social experiments” crash and burn, at least his voters will have front-row seats. Rafizi is promising to personally brew coffee and serve food on opening day, because nothing says “I believe in this venture” like a former cabinet minister working the morning shift. The real test? Whether Malaysians will buy into a model that sounds suspiciously like capitalism with a conscience, or if RM5 meals will prove as sustainable as most political promises. READ MORE: Man Couldn’t Register Business On Pro Niaga Because His Name Is Rafizi Ramli Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.
