PETALING JAYA: The government will expand various aid initiatives, including cash assistance, affordable food programmes and utility subsidies, to help Malaysians cope with the rising cost of living.
Presenting the 13th Malaysia Plan (MP13) in the Dewan Rakyat today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said under the Payung Rahmah initiative, programmes such as Jualan Rahmah, Menu Rahmah, Kafe Rahmah and Bakul Rahmah will be intensified to ensure access to affordable meals.
“Seventeen types of assistance will also be introduced for students from preschool to secondary school to ensure access to nutritious meals, including boarding school meal aid, supplementary food programmes, early school aid, and scholarships,” he said.
Anwar said the rates for Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) have been increased, with SARA recipients expanded from 700,000 hardcore poor households to 5.4 million, now also including the B40 group.
“Last week, I also announced a one-off SARA payment of RM100 for all Malaysians aged 18 and above.”
Anwar added that efforts will also include reducing household electricity bills through the Time-of-Use (ToU) scheme by Tenaga Nasional Berhad, continuing Rahmah Packages for internet services and affordable insurance, and maintaining subsidised public transport passes and air tickets for students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities.
