Malaysia

Budget allocates two rounds of cash aid to millions of Malaysians in 70th Merdeka year

The RM100 SARA MADANI payments for eligible adults, alongside special assistance for 1.3 million civil servants and more than one million pensioners, will provide financial support at two key points

Updated 1 hour ago · Published on 11 Oct 2026 12:41PM

Budget allocates two rounds of cash aid to millions of Malaysians in 70th Merdeka year
Assistance intended to recognise the contribution of Malaysians to national development since independence - October 11, 2026

MILLIONS of Malaysians are set to receive cash assistance twice in 2027, with Budget 2027 providing special payments for civil servants and pensioners, as well as RM100 SARA MADANI handouts for eligible adults to mark the country’s 70th year of independence.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the assistance was intended to recognise the contribution of Malaysians to national development since independence.

“Seven decades in conjunction with Merdeka… a gift to the people,” he told Bernama when asked about the significance of the anniversary-themed aid announced during the budget’s tabling on Friday.

Under the budget, about 1.3 million civil servants in Grade Utama B and below, including contract staff, will receive RM1,500 in Special Financial Assistance (BKK).

More than one million government pensioners, including veterans with and without pensions, will receive RM750.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the BKK payments would be made in two instalments — one before Hari Raya Aidilfitri and another in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of independence.

Malaysians aged 18 and above who do not receive Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) will also be eligible for two SARA MADANI payments of RM100 each.

The assistance will coincide with Malaysia’s 70th Merdeka anniversary in 2027, offering recipients additional financial support at two points during the year.

Budget 2027, themed “Reaching for the Sky, Rooted in the Earth”, was tabled by Anwar in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday. Federal government allocations total RM459.8 billion, rising to RM510 billion when investments from government-linked investment companies, public-private partnerships, federal statutory bodies and Minister of Finance Incorporated companies are included.

The fifth MADANI Budget seeks to translate economic growth into tangible benefits through better wages, targeted assistance, stronger fiscal discipline and investment in higher-value industries. - October 11, 2026

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