The government will increase Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) assistance in the near future to help ease the rising cost of living, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said. Malay Mail reported that the decision was made after taking into account public feedback and concerns.
Speaking at a Pakatan Harapan campaign rally in Seremban yesterday in conjunction with the upcoming Negeri Sembilan state election, Anwar acknowledged that existing aid programmes have not fully resolved the people’s problems.
“Although we have provided the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and SARA, and in Negeri Sembilan Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun has given a substantial bonus to civil servants, have all the problems been resolved? Not yet,” he said.
“That is why we have listened to the people’s concerns and, Insya-Allah, we will further increase SARA for everyone in the near future.”
NST reported that Anwar said the matter had been discussed with Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Johan Mahmood Merican and would be considered in the upcoming Budget.
The government allocated a record RM15 billion to the combined STR and SARA programmes in 2026, up from RM10 billion in 2024. SARA currently benefits approximately nine million recipients nationwide.
According to CIMB Securities Research, the SARA programme has achieved a 99 per cent utilisation rate among eligible STR recipients as of 16 July, with cumulative spending reaching RM3.5 billion. The programme’s acceptance network has expanded to 13,700 participating outlets nationwide, up from 4,100 a year earlier.
More than 6,500 of these are sundry shops, with the government targeting 10,000 participating neighbourhood retailers over time.
Anwar said the Madani government would continue to assess the possibility of increasing assistance for the people, including STR and SARA, if the country’s economic conditions permit.
