THE MADANI government has confirmed that there is no requirement for fixed packages under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiative, with recipients encouraged to choose items that best suit their daily needs from a list of over 90,000 eligible products.
“There is no need to provide SARA items in pre-arranged packages, as this would imply a lack of choice,” said Datuk Seri Mohd Sayuthi Bakar, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN). “We allow the people to choose the necessities they actually need.”
He was speaking to reporters in Kuching after officiating the closing of the 2025 KPDN Roadshow Carnival and the Buy Malaysian Products Campaign (KBBM) for the Sarawak Zone at Kuching Waterfront.
The flexibility in item selection comes amid growing momentum for the programme. According to the Ministry of Finance, by 9.30pm on the eighth day of the SARA Appreciation rollout, RM102.5 million worth of purchases had been made by 1.7 million recipients. The transaction success rate remained at a stable 99.9 per cent for the second consecutive day.
System upgrades and capacity enhancements undertaken in the past week have contributed to the programme’s smooth technical execution, the ministry confirmed.
Since the initiative began on 31 August 2025, more than 11.8 million Malaysians have used SARA Appreciation and monthly SARA credit to purchase essential goods, with total spending reaching RM745.7 million nationwide in the first seven days.
However, concerns have arisen regarding potential price hikes by certain retailers. The government has warned that profiteering will not be tolerated.
"The MADANI government will investigate reports of price increases following the launch of SARA Appreciation," said Second Finance Minister, Senator Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan. "At the same time, we commend supermarkets and shops offering special prices to eligible recipients."
He added that any traders found inflating prices could face action under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
The public is urged to report suspected profiteering to KPDN through official channels, including the e-Aduan portal at [https://eaduan.kpdn.gov.my/](https://eaduan.kpdn.gov.my/), WhatsApp at 019-848 8000, or via the hotline at 1-800-886-800. - Sept 8, 2025
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