Over 80% of monthly SARA recipients and more than half of SARA-for-All beneficiaries have used their aid for essential purchases, totalling nearly RM2 billion in expenditure.
KUALA LUMPUR: A significant majority of Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) aid recipients have actively utilised their benefits for essential purchases.
Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong revealed that as of March 1, about 6.7 million monthly SARA recipients, representing 82% of the 8.1 million total beneficiaries for 2026, had spent their aid at registered premises with expenditure nearing RM1 billion.
He further stated that under the broader SARA-for-All programme for eligible adults, more than 12.1 million recipients, or 54% of the total, had also made purchases worth almost another RM1 billion.
Liew provided these figures in Parliament today in response to a question from Tan Hong Pin (PH-Bakri) regarding the uptake and utilisation of the MySARA initiative.
The deputy minister also highlighted recent enhancements to the programme, noting that the government expanded the eligible goods categories to include frozen food starting February 9, increasing the total categories from 14 to 15.
“The government has also increased the number of types of goods that can be purchased to 140,000 compared to 100,000 previously,” he said.
