For many Malaysians, the RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) credit is a welcome bonus. Maybe it covers a week of groceries, or knocks a bit off your monthly supermarket run. For others, that same RM100 is the difference between eating dinner and going without.

If you’re fortunate enough not to need SARA credit to survive and want to help others, well, you cannot transfer to someone else, or withdraw as cash. Next best thing is to shop for approved items and physically donate them to a charity or food bank. As any unspent SARA balance after 31 December 2025 goes back to the government. If you’re planning to donate, please do it quickly!

To help you decide how to donate your SARA benefit we’ve created this handy guide.

What You Can Actually Buy

You need to know what SARA credit covers. The system only works for specific SARA-labelled items in 14 approved categories. Buy the wrong thing and your SARA credit transaction  gets rejected at the counter.

Approved 

• Rice, bread, flour 
• Eggs, cooking oil 
• Instant noodles, biscuits
• Canned food (sardines, tuna) 
• Milk, Milo, tea, coffee
• Sugar, salt, sauces
• Soap, toothpaste, shampoo
• Sanitary pads
• Laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid 
• Over-the-counter medicines
• School supplies 

Not Approved

• Cigarettes 
• Alcohol 
• Pet food
• Snacks, soft drinks
• Frozen convenience foods 
• Items without SARA label 

The safest approach is to stick to staples: rice, cooking oil, canned sardines, and milk powder. These are universally needed by food banks and shelters, and they’re almost always SARA-approved at major supermarkets.

The Easiest Way To Donate

Many Klang Valley hypermarkets have permanent food bank bins near their exits. This means you can complete the entire donation process without leaving the store.

Walk into a participating supermarket (Lotus’s, AEON, Giant, Mydin, or Econsave), fill your basket with SARA-approved essentials, pay at the counter using your MyKad, then walk ten metres to the food bank bin and drop off your purchases. This would take maybe 20 minutes or so. 

You can also look for bins labelled “Caring Bin” at BMS Organics outlets in major malls (1Utama, Petaling, Puchong Jaya, Central Point, and Setia City Mall), which distribute donations through Muhibbah FoodBank Malaysia. Several Petronas, Shell, and Petron stations across the Klang Valley also maintain community food banks where you can drop off purchases.

If you’d rather deliver directly to an organisation, check their operating hours before showing up.

Where To Donate In Klang Valley

If you want your donation to go somewhere specific, here are some established organisations that accept food donations.

Kechara Soup Kitchen (KL)

Kechara feeds over 1,300 homeless and urban poor clients weekly through their city centre soup kitchen. Their Food Bank in Setapak (Seri Rejang, Setapak Jaya) also distributes RM250 worth of dry provisions to more than 4,000 registered families.

They need: Rice (smaller packs are easier to distribute), cooking oil, canned food, biscuits, instant noodles, beverages, soap, and toothpaste.

Drop-off: Kechara Food Bank, Seri Rejang, Setapak Jaya. Check kecharasoupkitchen.com for operating hours.

Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Gzsd2KZ9nxLM7FQ79

The Lost Food Project (Chan Sow Lin)

Based in Chan Sow Lin, The Lost Food Project redistributes surplus food to over 70 charities and low-cost housing communities across the Klang Valley and Johor. They’ve provided millions of meals since 2016.

They need: Dry goods (rice, flour, pasta, instant noodles), cooking oil, canned foods, beverages, laundry detergent, and sanitary products.

Drop-off: 47, Jalan Tiga, Chan Sow Lin, 55200 Kuala Lumpur.
Email [email protected] to confirm.

Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/hDsf1byVrj83vKGU6 

Food Aid Foundation (KL)

Since 2013, Food Aid Foundation has helped over 240,000 people by redistributing surplus food to welfare homes, refugee communities, and low-income families.

They need: Any SARA-approved dry foods, canned goods, and household essentials.

Drop-off: Arrange via Food Aid Foundation.

Gerobok Rezeki (Community Food Cupboards)

For quick, no-contact drop-offs, Gerobok Rezeki community cupboards are scattered across the Klang Valley at mosques, community centres, and some supermarkets. Take what you need, give what you can.

They need: Rice, cooking oil, canned goods, instant noodles, biscuits, sugar, salt, and personal care items like soap and toothpaste.

Drop-off: Giant Superstore Prima Saujana, various BIG Pharmacy branches, Elewsmart stores (22 locations in Klang Valley), select mosques, and more.

Getting The Most From Your RM100

A bit of strategic shopping can stretch that SARA credit further.

Compare prices before you buy. Check which participating supermarket has promotions on SARA-approved items. Rice and cooking oil frequently go on sale, and the difference between regular and promotional prices can mean an extra bag of rice for your donation.

Think about practicality. If you don’t have a car, buying three 10kg bags of rice is going to be a problem. Stick to lightweight, high-value items like milk powder, sanitary pads, or cooking oil if you’re relying on public transport or Grab.

Making It Happen

You don’t need to travel far or commit hours of your time. Buy a bag of rice, some cooking oil, and a few cans of sardines. Drop them in a food bank bin on your way out. That’s it. Spending twenty minutes at the supermarket could mean groceries on someone’s table in Setapak tonight. 

Remember SARA credit expires. After 31 December 2025, any unused balance goes back to the government, not to someone who could have used it. If your RM100 is just sitting there, this is a simple way to make sure it actually helps someone.

Know others with SARA credit sitting untouched? Send them this. Sometimes people just need a nudge and a reminder that helping doesn’t have to be complicated.

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