KUALA LUMPUR: The Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme this year is expected to benefit over 700,000 recipients with RM700 million in allocations, a five-fold increase, compared to 210,000 recipients with an expenditure of RM130 million last year.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that it was to improve SARA as a targeted subsidy aid to those who are most affected by rising costs of living.
“The Malaysian economy’s transformation begins with lifting our most vulnerable up. The improvements to the SARA programme is the first step in bridging inequality and building an inclusive society as envisioned in the Ekonomi MADANI framework,” he said in a statement today.
Sara which will be implemented in stages from Jan 22 is aimed to uplift the country’s most economically vulnerable population and holds true to the principle of equitability that serves as the foundation for the Ekonomi MADANI framework.
Improvements to the programme include expanding qualified recipients to the poor and hardcore poor compared to the hardcore poor only last year, increasing the aid to households to RM1,200 from RM600 in 2023, while aid to single individuals remains at RM600, and expanding items valid for purchase with the programme’s credit using myKAD to include three new categories – personal care items, medicines, and school supplies – on top of basic food and foodstuffs at registered grocery shops.
SARA will be credited to recipients in Peninsular Malaysia beginning Jan 22 (Monday), while recipients in Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan will begin receiving their SARA cash assistance from Feb 19 (Monday).
Recipients in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan will receive their aid in two instalments of RM600 for households and senior citizens without a spouse, and RM300 for single individuals on Feb 19 (Monday) and Aug 12 (Monday) to the recipient’s bank account or handed out in cash at Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) branches throughout the country.
“Following the encouraging response to the SARA programme last year, the government has also expanded the network of participating retailers (supermarkets/sundry shops) to 515 (as at Jan 17) from 424 (in 2023) across the country,” he added.
The Finance Ministry also reminded recipients to be wary of unverified links from irresponsible parties when looking for information on the SARA programme. – Bernama