SARA recipients could soon get more financial aid, after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government plans to increase the assistance as many continue to struggle with the rising cost of living.

Speaking at a Pakatan Harapan rally in Negeri Sembilan, Anwar said the move comes in response to concerns about the cost of living.

The government has not announced how much SARA could increase, when the higher payments would begin, or whether the eligibility criteria will change.

The latest proposal would add to the STR and SARA assistance recipients are already receiving this year. Earlier this month, the government said RM3.45 billion in SARA aid had already been distributed this year. 

Anwar had previously said the government was looking at increasing STR and SARA further if the country’s finances allowed. He added that the proposal has already been discussed with Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Johan Mahmood Merican and will be considered as part of the upcoming Budget. 

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Christina Chandra

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.

About THE AUTHOR

Christina Chandra

Christina Chandra

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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