Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has promised to increase the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah cash assistance if the government remains stable and Pakatan Harapan continues to enjoy public support.
Speaking at PH’s grand finale campaign for the Layang-Layang seat in Kluang, as reported by FMT, Anwar said the government could enhance the aid because it managed the country’s finances prudently.
“If this government remains stable, the people continue to support us and PH remains strong, we will increase SARA for the rakyat. Do you know why? Because we do not steal,” he said, according to NST.
Anwar said SARA was introduced after the government learned that some poor households could not afford cooking oil. “How can I be prime minister, with an official car and an official residence, while my people struggle to buy basic necessities?” he said.
The SARA and STR programmes in 2026 carry an allocation of RM15 billion, benefiting about nine million recipients nationwide, according to Bernama. Monthly SARA disbursements began on 9 January, covering 3.7 million households and 1.3 million single senior citizens. Nearly 8.1 million people claimed the one-off RM100 SARA aid when it was distributed in February.
SARA is a cashless assistance programme where funds are credited to recipients’ MyKad for purchases of basic necessities at over 13,000 selected stores and supermarkets nationwide.
Anwar also compared himself to Sivaji, a character played by Indian film star Rajinikanth in a 2007 Tamil movie. “I too, like Sivaji, was thrown into jail and beaten up, but I became a prime minister,” he said, referencing his 1998 assault in the Bukit Aman lockup by then inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor after Dr Mahathir Mohamad dismissed him as deputy prime minister.
Polling for the Johor election is scheduled for tomorrow.
