Nearly nine million Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipients have used 99% of their monthly Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) credits, with spending reaching RM3.45 billion so far in 2026. About 22 million people, or 87% of recipients, have also spent over RM1.77 billion of their one-off RM100 Sara Untuk Semua credits at local shops and markets.

The Finance Ministry shared these numbers in a written reply posted on Parliament’s website on Thursday (16 July 2026), answering a question from Datuk Aminolhuda Hassan (PH-Sri Gading) about how the government measures the two aid programmes.

How Sara Works And What You Can Buy With It

Sara is a cashless aid scheme. Instead of receiving money in your bank account, the credit goes straight into your MyKad. You spend it by showing your MyKad at registered Sara Rakan Niaga outlets. You cannot take it out as cash.

The credits cover 15 categories of basic goods. These include food, personal care items, household cleaning supplies, and medicines. The ministry said this design lets the government track how the aid is used and make sure it goes towards daily needs.

Aid Allocations Have Grown To RM15 Billion

The government has set aside RM15 billion for STR and Sara in 2026, up from RM10 billion in 2024. The ministry said the bigger amount supports a stronger, more targeted social safety net.

The ministry said it will keep watching both programmes to make sure help reaches the households that need it most as living costs rise. Monthly Sara payments this year reach up to RM200 for eligible recipients, on top of STR cash payments made in phases throughout the year. 

Targeted Monthly Aid Is Used More Than The Universal Credit

Sara comes in two forms. The monthly credit is targeted, while the one-off Sara Untuk Semua credit is universal, paid to every adult regardless of income. This year the targeted credit has a 99% usage rate against 87% for the universal one.

Last year showed the same split. The universal RM100 credit reached 96% usage, with around RM150 million left over, a figure Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim shared in January while responding to criticism that even well-off Malaysians had claimed the RM100. The targeted monthly credit, meanwhile, came close to full usage in 2025, according to the Finance Ministry.

Unused credits do not disappear. They go into other social protection programmes, so the money still helps someone even if you never spend yours. If you do plan to use it, your RM100 credit stays valid until 31 December 2026 at any participating outlet nationwide, so check your MyKad balance before your next grocery trip.

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