THE Ministry of Finance has reaffirmed that the government’s newly expanded Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme will provide a one-off RM100 credit to every Malaysian adult holding a MyKad, with no registration required.
Speaking in response to a question from Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH–Bukit Bendera) during a Ministerial Question Time session in the Dewan Rakyat, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan explained that the initiative—announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on 23 July 2025—aims to alleviate rising living costs through an inclusive and streamlined welfare delivery mechanism.
“The SARA appreciation credit of RM100 will be disbursed automatically to every Malaysian citizen aged 18 and above, based on the National Registration Department’s MyKad records,” the ministry said. Eligible recipients are those born in 2007 or earlier, with credits accessible between 31 August and 31 December 2025.
A total of 22 million Malaysians are expected to benefit, amounting to RM2 billion in expenditure. The credit can be spent at over 4,500 registered retail outlets, covering a wide array of 90,000 essential items including rice, eggs, medicines, hygiene products, and school supplies.
Major participating retailers include Giant, MYDIN, BATARAS, C-Mart and TF Value-Mart. The Ministry confirmed that interested retailers may still register as partners through Yayasan MyKasih. The number of participating outlets is expected to grow over the coming months.
The ministry also stressed that no application or form submission is necessary, warning the public to be wary of scams or false registration portals.
Addressing a supplementary question on the effectiveness of using MyKad for SARA distribution, the ministry said the approach represents a major improvement over 2024’s version of the programme, particularly for residents in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, who previously received cash payments.
“SARA 2025 expands coverage from 700,000 recipients last year to 5.4 million this year, using a uniform mechanism nationwide via MyKad,” the ministry stated. “The average usage rate has reached 93 per cent, with the highest recorded in Perlis (96 per cent), followed closely by Sabah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah (95 per cent).”
Field assessments have shown strong acceptance among the public. Many recipients reportedly found the system user-friendly, especially as it does not require separate apps or additional registration cards—only the national MyKad, which functions similarly to a debit card for the transaction.
With the expanded SARA and STR (Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah) programmes, the government’s total welfare expenditure has now risen to RM15 billion for 2025, up 50 per cent from RM10 billion in 2024. - July 31, 2025
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