The government has issued a stern warning that it will not compromise with any party attempting to undermine the benefits of the Penghargaan Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiative, which is meant to ease the burden of millions of Malaysians.
Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan revealed that authorities are aware of social media complaints alleging some traders have raised prices to take advantage of SARA recipients.
“If such practices are happening, investigations and action under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 can be enforced. The MADANI government takes this seriously,” he stressed in a statement released by the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
At the same time, he commended supermarkets and retailers offering special prices for SARA beneficiaries and urged the public to file official complaints with the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) if they encounter unfair pricing. Reports can be made through KPDN’s e-Aduan portal, WhatsApp hotline at 019-848 8000, or the toll-free line 1-800-886-800.
According to MOF, the SARA programme continues to run smoothly. As of 9.30pm on its eighth day of implementation, sales had already reached RM102.5 million, benefiting 1.7 million recipients. The system has also achieved a 99.9% transaction success rate for two consecutive days, thanks to upgrades in processing capacity over the past week.
Since its launch on August 31, SARA has helped more than 11.8 million Malaysians purchase essential goods using monthly credits, with total spending hitting RM745.7 million nationwide.
