No More Waiting To Buy Essentials - SARA Recipients

KUALA TERENGGANU, Dec 25 (Bernama) -- The Basic Rahmah Contribution (SARA) has provided relief to many workers, allowing them to purchase essential items in advance without having to wait for payday.

A cleaner, Semek @ Norliza Muda, 51, said that before receiving SARA assistance, her household expenses depended entirely on her monthly salary, which was often insufficient to meet daily needs.

Semek said her family faces significant challenges as her husband is physically disabled and unable to work due to health reasons, while she is also supporting her youngest child, aged 15, who is still in school.

“With this assistance, I can buy basic necessities such as rice and cooking oil at the supermarket without having to wait for payday,” she said when met by Bernama at a supermarket here.

Similarly, sales promoter Siti Fatimah Zakaria, 36, said the SARA assistance helps ease monthly expenses, particularly while waiting for her salary at the end of the month.

“This assistance can be used to buy kitchen essentials while waiting for the salary to be credited. It helps ensure that our family’s basic needs are always met,” she said.

Meanwhile, another SARA recipient under the household category, housewife Emma Yong, 38, said the assistance she has received since last April has helped reduce her family’s financial burden, especially when purchasing basic items such as milk and rice.

“SARA has at least eased our monthly expenses. Thank you to the government for caring about low-income households,” said the mother of five.

She expressed hope that the amount of SARA assistance could be increased, noting that it provides meaningful support to low-income families who genuinely need it.

Previously, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said a total of RM3.66 billion had been spent by 98 per cent of monthly SARA recipients nationwide to purchase necessities using MyKad as of last Nov 3.

He added that during the same period, 100 per cent of aid recipients in Perlis, Sabah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah had utilised the assistance to buy essential goods.

-- BERNAMA