KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Finance (MOF) confirmed that over 8.5 million Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipients have received RM4 billion in cash aid under Phase 1 and 2 payments.
Two additional phases are scheduled for August and November 2025.
The government increased STR and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) allocations to a record RM13 billion, up from RM10 billion.
This benefits nine million recipients, covering 60 per cent of Malaysia’s adult population.
MOF stated this in a parliamentary reply to Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka), who inquired about SARA’s 2024 financial allocation.
For SARA, over 4.9 million recipients have used MyKad to buy essentials at participating stores as of July 14, 2025.
The programme recorded a 92 per cent usage rate in its fourth month, with RM5 billion allocated annually for 5.4 million recipients.
“The number of SARA recipients surged from 700,000 to 5.4 million starting April 2025,“ MOF added.
The government continues monitoring to ensure aid reaches those facing cost-of-living challenges. – Bernama
