Nearly 13 million eligible Malaysians have redeemed their Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) Appreciation Aid to purchase essential goods, involving total spending of RM1 billion.
Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said the initiative has been a major help to B40 households, especially in rural and remote areas.
In Sabah, more than 98 per cent of the 1.2 million eligible recipients have used SARA to buy necessities, while in Labuan, 65 per cent of nearly 50,000 recipients have redeemed their RM100 allocation.
Amir Hamzah also dismissed claims that using MyKad to access the aid was inconvenient for senior citizens or rural communities.
“This is proven by the redemption rates in states such as Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak, which are among the highest in the country,” he told reporters after visiting retailers participating in the SARA programme today.
He added the scheme has also benefited micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which have seen stronger sales thanks to increased purchasing power among recipients.
“The number of retail outlets participating in SARA has grown from 7,300 at the start of the year to more than 8,100 nationwide now,” he said.
Amir Hamzah said nearly nine million Malaysians are eligible for the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) cash aid, while SARA coverage was expanded to 5.4 million recipients from 1 April this year — almost eight times more than the 700,000 recipients previously.
Recipients can redeem SARA for a variety of essential items, including staple foods such as rice, bread and eggs; cooking necessities like oil and flour; canned goods and instant noodles; personal hygiene products (soap, toothpaste, sanitary pads); household cleaning items, medicines, stationery and school uniforms.
“These categories ensure that families not only meet their daily nutritional needs but also have access to household essentials at affordable prices,” Amir Hamzah said.
