SARA Aid Helps Families Prepare For New School Year

SHAH ALAM, Dec 23 (Bernama) -- The Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) assistance has become a lifeline for some recipients in meeting their children’s school needs ahead of the new academic year.

Office worker Siti Rohana Saad, 38, said she and her husband estimate spending nearly RM400 on school supplies for their three children, a heavy burden for a low-income family.

She said they planned carefully by saving the RM100 monthly aid credited to her husband’s MyKad over the past four months to buy uniforms, shoes and stationery.

“My husband has to take on part-time work as a food delivery rider to support the family, so this SARA assistance for households is very helpful,” she told Bernama.

Another recipient, Nor Aishah Abu Bakar, 29, said the aid allows her to set aside part of her monthly salary to support her parents and help cover expenses for her youngest sibling, who is still in school.

The private-sector employee said the assistance helps young people, especially those living in the capital, cope with the rising cost of living.

“This government initiative is very good, but it would be even better if fresh items like fish and vegetables could also be purchased under the SARA programme,” she said.

Previously, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said 5.6 million people receive the SARA assistance monthly, with total eligibility for 2025 reaching RM5 billion.

He said that as of Dec 17, nearly 5.6 million recipients, including newly approved appeals, had used their MyKad to purchase essential goods at registered premises, reflecting a 99 per cent utilisation rate and total spending of RM4.59 billion.

-- BERNAMA