Payments under the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) Phase 3 began being distributed in stages today, benefiting 5.3 million recipients nationwide.
The latest figure represents an increase of 300,000 recipients compared with the five million people who received assistance at the beginning of the year.
Of the total recipients, 3.9 million are from low- and lower-middle-income households, while another 1.4 million comprise single senior citizens.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government would continue ensuring financial assistance reached those in need as the rising cost of living remained a challenge for some Malaysians.
He said the number of households receiving STR had increased from 3.7 million at the start of the year to 3.9 million under Phase 3.
“With the cost of living still a challenge for some people, the government will continue to ensure assistance reaches those who need it,” he said in a statement today.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the government would continue implementing reforms and strengthening the economy to improve household incomes and the overall standard of living.
He said STR and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) were intended to ease immediate financial pressures while broader economic reforms continued.
“Our goal is not merely to provide assistance, but to ensure the lives of the people improve,” he said.
The government has allocated RM1.2 billion for the Phase 3 STR payments, with eligible recipients receiving between RM150 and RM600 depending on their income and number of children.
Single senior citizens will receive RM150 under the latest payment phase.
The total STR allocation distributed across the first three phases of 2026 has now reached RM3.6 billion.
Depending on their eligibility category, recipients may receive up to RM3,300 cumulatively as of August 2026 through STR Phases 1 to 3 and monthly SARA assistance.
The Finance Ministry said the amount does not include the one-off SARA Untuk Semua payment available to all Malaysians aged 18 and above.
Beginning this year, assistance has been structured to provide more consistent support throughout the year, with STR payments distributed quarterly while SARA provides monthly basic assistance to eligible recipients.
The expanded number of recipients reflects the government’s continued focus on cushioning vulnerable households from living-cost pressures while longer-term economic measures are pursued.
