The entrepreneur development and cooperatives ministry initiated the platform following a suggestion made late last year by the Malaysian Association of Malay Hawkers and Small Businessmen.
The association’s secretary-general, Zamri Mohammed, said Warungku was now fully operational.
He said most of the association’s members had just started their online operations.
Registration was initially low because traders were still hoping to do business the conventional way, he told FMT.
“They have now realised that going online is the only way to survive.
“With Covid-19 cases going up, and with record high deaths, there is no way we can have a physical outlet these days.”
Zamri said a lot of Covid-19 cases were linked to Ramadan bazaars because people did not follow SOPs.
“They were going into the bazaars from every side,” he said.
Warungku has 222 centres, one for each parliamentary constituency.
Zamri said the ministry was helping to promote Warungku businesses and giving training on online marketing skills.
The association is hoping to sign up 20 delivery riders for each constituency.
It has received a grant from SME Corp, which it will use to pay 70% of the initial payment for each rider. A riders’ starter kit costs RM250.
Traders affiliated with Warungku charge 20% for delivery and Zamri said this was 15% lower than the amount charged by others.
Zamri said Warungku was hoping to be as successful as delivery platforms like GrabFood and Foodpanda.
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