LABUAN: “Using MyKad makes everything more accessible, especially for people like us who are always budgeting tightly. It’s also discreet, nobody has to know you’re receiving assistance”.
Those are the words of Norlela Jumat, a cleaner and mother from Labuan.
Describing the quiet relief brought by the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiative, she said that the aid helps fill the financial gap between paydays - a crucial support for her family’s day-to-day needs.
With monthly credit automatically linked to recipients’ MyKad, the assistance can be used directly at selected supermarkets, making the purchase of essential goods faster, easier, and more secure.
Nurhidayah Olivia Abdullah, 29, a member of the People’s Volunteer Corps (RELA) who relies on irregular income, echoed similar sentiments, saying that since she began receiving the assistance in April, the MyKad system has provided her with the much-needed peace of mind.
“It’s been a huge help. I no longer have to worry if I have enough cash for essentials. I just go and scan my MyKad at the counter. The process is usually fast and seamless,” she told Bernama recently.
Other recipients, Jamnah Sabah, 48, also a RELA member, said both SARA and the cash-based Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) programme came at the right time for her family.
“For SARA, I appreciate the ease of presenting my MyKad at the store. It saves time, and I don’t need to explain or show additional documents; it really helps,” she said.
Single father Roslan Idris, 38, who juggles two part-time jobs to support his three school-going children, said that the combination of SARA and STR has helped him stay afloat.
“STR helped with school needs, while SARA ensured my kitchen wasn’t empty. The fact that I just use my MyKad at checkout is the best part. No hassle, no extra steps. It makes a difference when you’re rushing between jobs,” he said.
Meanwhile, Siti Aminah Matdehanan, 44, an office cleaner earning RM1,400 monthly, said the aid has enabled her to consistently provide for her family.
“The MyKad method is straightforward. I don’t need to queue at counters for vouchers or cash out benefits, it’s just swiped and done. That kind of efficiency matters,” she said.
The SARA programme provides additional support to STR recipients classified as poor or hardcore poor under eKasih.
This initiative reflects the ‘raise the floor’ thrust of the MADANI Economy framework, which aims to improve the quality of life for all Malaysians to ensure equitable benefits and opportunities, a decent standard of living and social protection for the rakyat.
Under the MADANI Government, SARA’s annual assistance has increased to RM2,100 for eligible households registered under the eKasih system, a significant jump from RM1,200 provided last year.
From January to March 2025, recipients received RM100 monthly, directly credited to their MyKad accounts. Starting April 1, this amount was increased to RM200, benefiting a broader pool of 5.4 million recipients.
On March 24, the government rolled out Phase 2 of STR payments, benefiting 8.5 million recipients, comprising 60 per cent of Malaysia’s adults, with aid of up to RM650. This phase involved RM1.7 billion in funds, an increase from RM1.5 billion last year.
