6th February 2026 - 3 min read
One-off RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah, or SARA, will be credited automatically to eligible Malaysian citizens’ MyKad starting 9 February 2026, with no application required.
The cashless assistance can be used at registered premises until 31 December 2026, giving recipients flexibility over when they spend the funds.
A total allocation of RM2.2 billion has been set aside for the one-off SARA assistance, which applies to all Malaysians aged 18 and above.
Eligibility status can be checked through the official SARA portal. The funds will be credited automatically to MyKad, and recipients do not need to submit any application or documentation.
Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said the automatic crediting mechanism is intended to ensure broad coverage while minimising administrative barriers.
SARA is part of the broader Sumbangan Asas Rahmah initiative under Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah, or STR, which aims to help households manage rising living costs by enabling purchases of essential goods without the use of cash. Transactions are made directly through MyKad at participating outlets.
Amir Hamzah was responding to a parliamentary question from Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa on the total SARA allocation spent in 2025 and the value of transactions generated in the local economy.
In 2025, nearly 5.6 million recipients of monthly targeted SARA assistance used their MyKad to purchase essential goods. This represented a utilisation rate of 99 percent, with RM4.8 billion spent out of the RM5 billion allocated.
For the one-off SARA assistance announced in September, more than 21 million Malaysians, or 96% of recipients, made purchases. Total transaction value exceeded RM2.05 billion.
RM150 million in unspent or unclaimed one-off SARA funds for 2025 will be reallocated to targeted groups.
These include residents of protection centres and students with disabilities and special needs. The funds will also be used to purchase medical devices for poor patients and to establish and strengthen student food banks.
According to Amir Hamzah, the reallocation is intended to improve transparency and efficiency in public fund management while strengthening social protection for vulnerable communities.
The government is conducting further studies on a proposal to include fresh goods as a new product category under the SARA programme.
Amir Hamzah said considerations include food quality, food safety, and consumer protection. No timeline has been set for a final decision.
As of 3 February, the number of SARA merchant partners has grown to 10,700 outlets nationwide, compared with 700 in 2024. Of these, around 3,000 are small traders.
Amir Hamzah said the government aims to further expand participation among grocery retailers this year, in line with the Prime Minister’s directive to strengthen the SARA network.
The expansion is expected to reduce the average distance between recipients and participating stores from 10 kilometres to about seven kilometres, improving access for users nationwide.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for the latest money tips and updates.
Samuel writes about personal finance and financial news, focusing on how banking updates, policies, and promotions affect everyday money decisions. He enjoys making complicated financial topics easier to follow. Outside of writing, he spends his time watching TV shows and occasionally convincing himself he will only watch one episode.
Comments (0)