24th September 2025 - 2 min read
The government has identified around 100 instances where lost or stolen MyKads were misused to claim the Rahmah Basic Assistance (Sara) aid. This was revealed after an internal investigation into the distribution of the RM100 one-off payment. The cases were traced back to a technical lapse in the system, which has since been rectified to prevent future misuse.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail explained that the fraud was caused by an issue between government databases. “The lack of synchronisation between the Finance Ministry’s system, which handles aid distribution, and the National Registration Department’s (NRD) database created a critical window,” he said during a press conference. He added that while the NRD immediately deactivates a MyKad reported as lost or stolen, the Finance Ministry’s system did not reflect this change in real time, allowing the cards to still be used to claim assistance.
Authorities successfully traced the locations where these fraudulent claims were made. In response, they have taken swift action to close the loophole and ensure the integrity of the aid programme. Going forward, the deactivation of a MyKad in the NRD system will be automatically and immediately reflected across all relevant government databases. This measure is intended to make it impossible for deactivated cards to be used for any official transactions or claims, protecting public funds and ensuring that aid reaches its intended recipients.
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Christina writes about personal finance with an eye for making the complicated feel straightforward. She is drawn to the everyday money decisions people face and genuinely enjoys finding the clearest way to explain them. Between articles, she is probably napping, on a hiking trail, or terrorising her sister’s cats.
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