KUCHING: Sarawak’s own food delivery application, ‘Ketek’, has commenced operations, its services available from Kuching to Lawas.
It provides coverage in rural areas and villages that have never before received such delivery services.
It stands out with its multilingual interface, namely English, Malay, Chinese and Iban, making it the first delivery app worldwide to incorporate the Iban language, catering to Sarawak’s diverse population of 2.8 million.
The app also addresses the cultural and religious diversity of Sarawak by introducing two delivery versions: halal and non-halal.
With the tagline ‘Ketek Ajak, Semua Ada’ (just click, it has everything), the app not only offers food delivery but also delivery of dry goods, including parcels, groceries, pharmaceuticals, and even liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Its CEO Suhardy Yakop said the application aims to boost Sarawak’s digital economy and assist entrepreneurs and traders in increasing their income while providing job opportunities to Sarawakians in the delivery service sector.
“Our decision to develop this delivery application stems from the growing demand for such services in the business landscape,” he said during the application’s soft launch at Riverside Majestic Hotel here on Saturday (Feb 24).
Furthermore, he revealed that Ketek plans to expand its reach beyond Sarawak, targeting Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.
Additionally, it will collaborate with an Indonesian delivery app, Ketik, to facilitate cross-border deliveries between Sarawak and Indonesia.
“This will make us the first in Malaysia to offer such a service,” he said.
Meanwhile, co-founder Qadafi Johari noted the encouraging response from Sarawakians towards collaborating with Ketek.
“We have observed many apps developed outside Sarawak dominating the market and setting trends in the delivery service sector.
“Therefore, we are doing our utmost to develop an app that is 100 per cent owned by Sarawak natives to further boost our digital economy in this field,” he added.
The name ‘Ketek’ came from a Sarawak local dialect often used in jest by Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, ‘ketek ajak’ (just click).
Distinguishing itself from competitors, Ketek boasts a zero-commission model for food vendors, ensuring that prices on the platform align with those in the physical establishments.
All generated revenue goes directly to the delivery runners, with no deductions for commissions.
Also present at the soft launch were Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Kuching Office head Mohd Irman Mohd Din, Green Bundle Trading CEO Steven Chin and Ketek co-founder Khusairi Johari.
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