THE government has expanded the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme’s merchant network to more than 13,700 outlets nationwide, allowing millions of recipients to access essential goods through MyKad-based assistance at a wider range of stores.
Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong said the network now includes supermarkets, grocery shops, cooperative stores and mini markets in urban, rural and remote areas, compared with only 700 participating outlets in 2024.
The expansion was part of efforts to ensure the benefits of SARA were not limited to major retail chains but also extended to smaller local businesses, the ministry said in response to a question from Senator Che Alias Hamid in the Dewan Negara.
SARA provides non-cash assistance through credits channelled into recipients’ MyKad, which can be used to purchase essential items from registered SARA partner merchants.
The programme covers 15 categories of necessities, including basic food items, personal hygiene products, household cleaning supplies and medicines.
The ministry said the MyKad-based system allows the government to monitor implementation more effectively while ensuring aid is used for its intended purpose.
Allocations for the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and SARA programmes have also increased, with RM15 billion allocated in 2026 compared with RM10 billion in 2024.
Introduced in 2023, SARA forms part of the government’s targeted assistance measures to help households manage rising living costs.
The ministry said more than 140,000 products are currently available under the programme, ranging from rice, flour, sugar and eggs to infant formula, diapers, cleaning products, school supplies, frozen chicken and seafood.
The expanded network now serves nearly nine million monthly SARA recipients and 22 million recipients under the SARA Untuk Semua initiative.
To further improve access in rural and interior areas, the government has linked SARA implementation with the Jualan Rahmah programme, enabling recipients to purchase affordable essential goods using their MyKad at participating outlets.
Liew said many Jualan Rahmah operators are privately owned grocery stores, creating additional opportunities for small retailers to participate in the assistance ecosystem.
Merchant selection also considers the distribution of recipients in each locality, including rural and remote areas, with access coverage assessed within a seven-kilometre radius to improve convenience for beneficiaries.
The government said it would continue monitoring and strengthening SARA implementation to ensure assistance reaches vulnerable groups while supporting broader efforts to address cost-of-living pressures. - July 20, 2026
