SARA Helps Ease Living Cost Of The Needy

PENDANG, July 18 (Bernama) -- “I used to not understand, now I’m good at it” - a sincere confession by Che Mah Ahmad, 79, of Kampung Tobiar, who is now becoming more proficient in using MyKad to take advantage of the Basic Rahmah Contribution (SARA) initiative to buy kitchen necessities.

Being in her twilight years, life is no longer as easy as it used to be, but the SARA assistance channelled monthly through MyKad eases the burden and makes her feel calmer.

“I just bring MyKad to buy things here...at first I didn’t understand (using MyKad for payment), now I’m good at it.

“This method doesn’t inconvenience the people, it’s easy and fast, especially for the elderly like me,” she said, hoping that the method will be maintained.

For private sector worker Mohd Naim Mohd Zubir, 40, from Kampung Rambai, every time he takes out his MyKad at his village grocery store, he feels a sense of relief because the card now serves not just as personal identification, but as a lifeline for his family’s survival.

He said the SARA initiative has been extremely helpful in meeting his family’s daily needs, allowing them to purchase essentials such as rice and other food items.

"Using the MyKad is easy and convenient. There’s no need to carry cash, no worry about losing it or being robbed, and no long queues," he said.

A housewife from Kubur Panjang, Buhairah Hassan, 46, described the assistance as a much-anticipated blessing every month.

"I support what the government is doing right now, helping the people and making it easier for the people, using MyKad makes it very convenient... I hope that wet goods such as fish and vegetables will also be included in the list of goods that can be purchased using SARA assistance," she said.

SARA is a targeted cash assistance programme aimed at those who are truly in need.

Starting April 1, the implementation of this initiative was expanded to 5.4 million recipients, involving 700,000 existing SARA recipients in the eKasih record as well as 4.7 million existing Rahmah Cash Contribution (STR) recipients.

Under the 2025 Budget, the allocation for the STR and SARA initiatives was increased to RM13 billion compared to RM10 billion in the previous year, with the total annual SARA assistance also increased to RM2,100 this year compared to RM1,200 last year.

This initiative is in line with the MADANI Economic Framework which emphasises efforts to empower the lives of the low-income earners through fair opportunities, better living standards and adequate social protection.

The government has also expanded the categories of goods that can be purchased using SARA to 14 categories, in addition to increasing the number of registered retail shops and supermarkets to more than 4,100 premises nationwide as of July 2025, compared to only 700 last year.

-- BERNAMA