THE Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiative entered its fourth day with marked improvements in system stability and public response, recording RM117.1 million in sales involving 1.8 million recipients across Malaysia.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Finance (MOF), this figure is a significant rise from RM76.8 million in purchases made by 1.1 million recipients as of 2 September.
"The success rate of transactions has also increased to 99.7 per cent compared with 95 per cent on 2 September," the MOF noted in a statement released this evening.
The ministry attributed the improved performance to three days of intensive efforts in enhancing and expanding the system’s processing capacity, which have now stabilised the platform’s operations.
Since the launch on 31 August, more than 4.8 million Malaysians have used their RM100 Penghargaan SARA credit and SARA benefits to purchase essential goods, pushing total expenditure under the programme to RM312.6 million nationwide.
The MOF confirmed that the RM100 Penghargaan SARA credit remains valid until 31 December 2025 and can be redeemed at over 7,300 registered retail outlets throughout the country.
Between 31 August and 31 December 2025, all Malaysian citizens aged 18 and above are eligible for a one-off RM100 assistance under the SARA scheme.
The initiative reflects a proactive measure by the government to support citizens—especially those within the B40 income group—in affording basic necessities without additional financial burden.
Despite early technical setbacks caused by an unanticipated surge in transactions during the first two days, which led to temporary MyKasih terminal disruptions and processing delays at select retail outlets, the overall functionality of the system remained intact.
Purchases were still able to proceed, although certain locations experienced congestion.
To address these issues and prevent future occurrences, Treasury Secretary-General Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican provided reassurance that the system’s server capacity had been quadrupled—from 5,000 to 15,000 transactions per minute.
This enhancement is designed to ensure a smoother redemption experience, particularly ahead of upcoming public holidays such as Malaysia Day.
A spike of nearly two million transactions amounting to more than RM110 million in the programme’s initial two days serves as clear evidence of overwhelming public engagement, confirming that the initiative is both highly anticipated and widely utilised.
The RM100 assistance via MyKasih has not only empowered citizens to purchase more essential goods but also enabled savings on daily expenses—demonstrating how even modest aid can produce significant impact when combined with strategic government planning. - Sept 4, 2025
