RM100 SARA Aid Provides Relief For Families

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 (Bernama) -- The one-off RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) aid credited to MyKad starting Aug 31 has provided timely relief for many households facing the rising cost of living.

In Kedah, housewife Siti Noraziah Rashid, 26, said the aid came just as her family’s income was disrupted by rainy weather that prevented her husband from tapping rubber.

“With this RM100, we can buy essentials for ourselves and our three children. My grandmother also received the aid, so we could stock up on rice, sugar and other basic items. We are truly relieved,” she said when met in Pokok Sena.

For 65-year-old rubber tapper Azizah Mat Desa from Pendang, the aid eased worries about putting food on the table.

“Alhamdulillah, the timing is perfect. Without it, our kitchen would be empty,” she said.

In Sabah, small trader Jamaliah Osman, 45, described the assistance was meaningful for her family and business.

“As a mother of five who sells cakes at the night market, every ringgit counts. This helps with both household groceries and ingredients for my stall,” she said.

Taxi driver Mohd Rizal Abdullah, 38, from Penampang, echoed the sentiment.

“Even though the amount is modest, it goes a long way for low-income families like mine, especially when everything costs more now,” he said.

For housewife Jamilah Gingging, 41, from Tambunan, the aid will go towards her three children’s school supplies. She also hopes the assistance will continue, especially before each new school term.

Similar appreciation was voiced in Melaka, where civil servant Farah Huda Shahiran, 29, said the MyKad-linked redemption was convenient and effective in ensuring aid reached eligible Malaysians.

In Selangor, Jamal Mohd Razali, 33, found the process smooth when shopping at a supermarket in Shah Alam.

“RM100 may not seem much, but if spent wisely it makes a big difference. For my family, it helps offset part of the RM400 to RM500 we spend monthly on essentials. But I think it could be expanded to cover more items,” said the private sector employee.

In Penang, husband and wife Mursyid Sulaiman and Jannah Abdul Rahman, both 29, used their combined RM200 aid to buy groceries and baby formula for their one-year-old daughter.

Meanwhile in Pahang, trader Amirul Hilmy Abas, 46, stressed that the contribution should not be underestimated.

“RM100 may look small, but when used for essentials like food, it brings real value to families like mine,” he said.

The SARA initiative, part of the government’s ongoing efforts to ease living costs, channels aid directly to eligible Malaysians through their identity cards for use at selected supermarkets.

-- BERNAMA