NO SPECIAL SUPERMARKETS TO SELL M`SIAN PRODUCTS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government currently has
no plans to participate actively in the retail sector by establishing a special
hypermarket to sell Malaysian products exclusively.

Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Shahrir Abdul
Samad said Malaysian products were already enjoying good response from consumers
and were available at hypermarkets and supermarkets nationwide.

"Malaysian products now have much higher quality and are easily accepted by
consumers and retailers as well. From my observation, I find that the products
in the private supermarkets are almost 80 percent Malaysian made products," he
said during the question and answer session at the Lowr House of Parliament
sitting here Tuesday.

He was replying to a question from Dr Mohamad Shahrum Osman, a MP
on whether his ministry was planning to set up hypermarkets with Malaysian brand
products.

On the packaging for Malaysian-made products, Shahrir said the quality of
packaging for Malaysian products has gone up compared with earlier times.

"The quality of packaging for Malaysian-made products including products
from the small and medium sized industries has gone up and I believe this trend
will continue," he said.

-- BERNAMA