KUALA LUMPUR: The MADANI government began distributing the ‘Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) for All’ aid, benefiting millions of adult Malaysian citizens nationwide on Monday (Feb 9).
The initiative was announced by Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, during his monthly assembly, marking a major expansion of social assistance.
“We will ensure that every adult Malaysian benefits directly, regardless of household category, through the SARA for All initiative,” Anwar said at the event.
The one-off assistance involves a RM100 SARA credit allocated to eligible MyKad holders, valid for essential purchases until Dec 31, 2026.
A total allocation of RM2.2 billion has been approved, with more than 22 million adult Malaysian citizens expected to benefit from the nationwide programme.
“Households may receive multiple credits depending on the number of eligible adults, allowing larger families to maximise overall assistance received,” Anwar said.
“For instance, a household comprising a husband, wife and two adult children would collectively receive RM400 in SARA credits, excluding any additional monthly SARA aid.”
He added that the government refined the programme after carefully considering public feedback to enhance purchasing convenience and flexibility for recipients.
“We listened to the people and acted decisively to expand eligible product categories and improve access, especially for daily household necessities,” he reiterated.
One key improvement includes expanding eligible items to cover frozen food, increasing the total categories of essential goods to 15 nationwide.
The expansion raises the number of eligible items purchasable using SARA credits to approximately 140,000 products across participating retail outlets.
In line with Anwar’s 2026 New Year address, the government aims to expand small grocery store participation under SARA partnerships.
The target is to reach 10,000 registered retail partners by year-end, while reducing the maximum distance to nearby stores from 10km to seven.
The Ministry of Finance urged the public to verify their credit status and frequently asked questions through the official SARA portal.
It also cautioned recipients against scam attempts, stressing that no personal information is requested via SMS or WhatsApp, and updates are only available on official platforms.
