SEREMBAN: The one-off RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) aid not only helps ease the cost of living but also provides an opportunity for some recipients to express their love by helping their parents with daily necessities.
A doctor at a private hospital here, Dr Nursarah Izzah Ismail, 28, said she will use the aid, credited to recipients’ MyKad yesterday, to buy household supplies for her parents in Melaka.
“With SARA, I’ll buy extra daily necessities for my parents since I’ve always been the one getting their basic items.
“This initiative is meaningful to me because it can be used not only for my own needs but also to help my parents,” she told Bernama.
Meanwhile, a similar step was taken by an information technology officer at a private company in Selangor, who shared her good fortune by using the aid to buy groceries for her mother, who lives in Felda Neram 2, Kemaman.
Siti Nadiah Jamil, 46, said the government aid should not be underestimated as it greatly helps with daily expenses.
“Coincidentally, I returned to my hometown during the National Day holiday, and since SARA could already be used, I took the opportunity to bring my mother, Tengku Latipah Tengku Ismail, 68, shopping at the Mydin supermarket in Kemaman.
“I used both mine and my husband’s SARA to buy the groceries my mother needed. We managed to get quite a lot of items. Essentials like rice, sugar and cooking oil are enough to last half a month,” said the Bandar Puteri, Klang resident.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on July 23 announced the RM100 cash aid for every Malaysian aged 18 and above under the SARA programme, which can be used to purchase goods in 14 selected product categories.
Anwar said the RM2 billion allocation for the one-off assistance, announced in conjunction with National Day, was an immediate measure to ease the cost of living as well as a gesture of appreciation to the people, benefiting 22 million citizens.
The RM100 assistance can be used until Dec 31. – Bernama
