THE government has almost doubled its allocation for Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah to RM15 billion this year, underscoring its commitment to reinforcing the country’s social safety net amid cost-of-living pressures.
Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong said the allocation represents a significant increase from RM8 billion in 2022 and reflects the government’s sustained effort to strengthen targeted financial assistance.
“The increase in financial assistance, particularly SARA which began in 2023, is a mechanism used by the government to deliver targeted aid,” he said in response to a question from Oscar Ling Chai Yew (PH–Sibu) during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
On the reach of the SARA programme, Liew said the number of registered SARA partner outlets had expanded sharply to 10,447 premises nationwide as of Monday, compared with just 700 outlets in 2024.
He added that the figure would continue to grow, encompassing supermarkets, grocery stores, cooperative shops and minimarkets in urban, rural and interior areas to ensure easier access for recipients.
“For Sarawak alone, there are 1,096 premises registered as SARA partners,” he said.
Liew added that the government would continue to review the criteria for SARA partners to ensure local grocery stores and small traders are directly involved, in line with the Prime Minister’s New Year 2026 address calling for the addition of 10,000 small retail shops this year.
Responding to a supplementary question from Dr Halimah Ali (PN–Kapar), Liew said the government’s approach aligns with proposals to ensure SARA benefits not only the B40 group but also supports small traders, particularly in rural areas.
He said improvements had been made to the eligibility criteria for participating premises, including the requirement for shops to sell at least seven essential food items such as rice, milk, flour, cooking oil and canned goods from the 14 previously designated categories.
“Among the improvements implemented is the reduction of the requirement to sell essential goods from 70 per cent to 50 per cent, that is seven out of the 14 designated categories,” he said.
He added that other enhanced criteria include registration with the Companies Commission of Malaysia, possession of a valid business licence, a tax identification number and the use of a point-of-sale system.
Liew said the government remains open to further proposals, including adjusting requirements based on locality and the size of premises, particularly for small grocery stores in rural and interior regions.
“We are prepared to listen to and consider any reasonable proposals. If there is a strong basis, the government does not rule out the possibility of further relaxing the existing conditions,” he said. - January 28, 2026
