Year: 2025

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KUALA LUMPUR: Bantuan Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) bernilai RM100 yang dikreditkan ke dalam MyKad bermula mulai 31 Ogos lepas memberikan sedikit kelegaan kepada rakyat dalam menampung perbelanjaan harian, terutama ketika berdepan cabaran kenaikan kos sara hidup.

Di KEDAH, suri rumah Siti Noraziah Rashid, 26, dari Kampung Bukit Nyan, Pokok Sena berkata bantuan tersebut membolehkan dia membeli barangan keperluan asas selepas pendapatan suaminya yang bekerja sebagai penoreh getah terjejas akibat cuaca hujan.

“Sudah hampir seminggu suami tak boleh menoreh sebab hujan, dengan bantuan RM100 ini dapatlah beli barangan keperluan untuk kami dan tiga orang anak serta barangan dapur.

“Tok (nenek) juga dapat RM100, jadi banyak juga barangan keperluan yang dapat dibeli seperti beras, gula, minyak dan barangan lain, kami sangat bersyukur kerana bantuan ini tiba saat kami tak dapat menoreh hingga pendapatan terjejas,” katanya.

Bagi penoreh getah, Azizah Mat Desa, 65, dari Kampung Hujung Keton, Kubur Panjang, Pendang pemberian SARA sangat membantu dia dan suami serta lima anak mereka dalam membeli barangan keperluan.

“Alhamdulillah bantuan ini memang kena pada masanya, dapatlah kurangkan beban kami yang tak boleh menoreh buat masa ini…kalau tidak, tak berasap dapur kami,” katanya.

Di SABAH, Jamaliah Osman, 45, dari Kampung Likas, menyatakan penghargaannya kepada kerajaan atas bantuan SARA yang disifatkan sangat bermakna untuk menampung keperluan asas.

Ibu kepada lima anak yang menjual kuih di pasar malam berkata dia terpaksa berjimat cermat untuk membeli barangan dapur dan bantuan itu dapat mengurangkan sedikit beban perbelanjaan keluarga serta kos bahan untuk perniagaannya.

Pemandu teksi dari Penampang, Mohd Rizal Abdullah, 38, pula menyifatkan bantuan SARA sebagai tepat pada masanya lebih-lebih lagi dalam keadaan ekonomi semasa.

“Walaupun jumlahnya tidak besar tetapi ia sangat membantu bagi keluarga berpendapatan rendah seperti kami, terutama ketika kos sara hidup semakin meningkat,” katanya yang turut menyara ibunya yang tinggal bersama.

Jamilah Gingging, 41, seorang suri rumah dari Tambunan, berkata bantuan itu akan dimanfaatkan untuk membeli barangan keperluan sekolah tiga anaknya dan berharap agar bantuan itu diteruskan terutama sebelum sesi persekolahan bermula.

Di MELAKA, penjawat awam Farah Huda Shahiran, 29, berkata bantuan RM100 yang diterimanya amat bermakna untuk membeli barangan keperluan harian seperti minyak masak dan beras sekali gus dapat meringankan beban keluarga.

Dia berkata pendekatan menggunakan kad pengenalan sebagai cara menebus dan membeli barangan di pasar raya terpilih juga sangat memudahkan dan lebih berkesan untuk memastikan hanya rakyat tempatan memperoleh bantuan itu tanpa sebarang penyelewengan.

Di SELANGOR, Jamal Mohd Razali, 33, berkata penggunaan SARA adalah mudah dan dia tidak berdepan masalah semasa ingin melakukan pembayaran ketika berbelanja bersama isteri di Mydin Mart Seksyen 13, Shah Alam di sini pada Ahad lepas.

Dia yang membeli barangan seperti sabun dan makanan asas berkata walaupun RM100 yang diberikan secara sekali beri itu nampak kecil, jika ia dibelanjakan dengan bijak mampu memberikan kesan besar kepada setiap penerima.

“Setiap bulan saya akan berbelanja kira-kira RM400 ke RM500 untuk barangan keperluan, jadi dengan adanya bantuan itu saya dapat jimat RM100. Saya rasa senarai barangan di bawah bantuan itu boleh diperluaskan,” kata pekerja di sebuah syarikat swasta itu.

Di PULAU PINANG, pasangan suami isteri Mursyid Sulaiman, 29, dan Jannah Abdul Rahman, 29, turut memanfaatkan bantuan tersebut dengan membeli barangan keperluan asas seperti beras, telur, gula, tepung, dan bawang di sebuah pasar raya besar di Bertam dengan jumlah RM200 yang mereka terima.

“Memang sumbangan ini amat membantu kerana kami dapat menjimatkan wang membeli barangan dapur dan susu bayi kerana kami ada anak perempuan berusia setahun tiga bulan. Jadi, ia (sumbangan) dapat kurangkan beban,” kata Jannah.

Di PAHANG, seorang peniaga, Amirul Hilmy Abas, 46, berkata SARA yang diterima mungkin dilihat kecil pada pandangan sesetengah pihak namun bagi rakyat yang berpendapatan rendah ia amat bermakna kerana mampu meringankan sedikit beban kos sara hidup harian.

“RM100 itu mungkin nampak kecil tetapi sebenarnya cukup bernilai sekiranya dibelanjakan dengan betul, khususnya untuk barangan keperluan asas. Saya sendiri mengutamakan pembelian makanan dan barangan dapur dengan wang itu kerana ia lebih berbaloi serta memberi manfaat buat keluarga,” katanya. – BERNAMA

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More recipients put their RM100 Sara cash towards others in need

PETALING JAYA: While most look to use the government’s newly-­credited RM100 Sumbang­an Asas Rahmah (Sara) aid to cover their grocery expenses, ­others are taking the opportunity to give back to those who need it the most.

Under the now viral #JomShare100 movement, people from all walks of life hope to use their one-off RM100 aid to support fellow Malaysians or make a difference in someone else’s life.

Entrepreneur Alzari Joey @pualdidan, 55, plans to use the money on ingredients he will donate to a soup kitchen, which serves the homeless in Kuala Lumpur.

He said his decision was not just about wanting to be generous but also about fulfilling his ­patriotic responsibility to help Malaysians.

“It fills me with pride that I too can be a Malaysian who looks out for others whenever times are tough,” said Alzari, who lives in Shah Alam.

For Aiman Abdullah, 30, a business owner in Petaling Jaya, the decision to use his money to buy essentials to donate to charities was instinctive.

“Having been in difficult situations in the past, I understand just how important this RM100 could mean to another person while it would just be a drop in the ocean for others.

“Since my family and I are doing okay, it only felt natural to channel this money to a cause that needs it more.”

The same desire to help others was also what motivated building manager Soman Zachariah, 59, from Cheras to give his RM100 Sara aid to a shelter.

Having adopted his son from the shelter, Soman said it was a responsibility to be kind to others whenever possible.

“Even before we learned about the #JomShare100 movement, my wife and I had decided we would use our aid to buy groceries and donate them to the shelter.

“It feels good to give back, and to know it makes a real difference,” he added.

In GEORGE TOWN, a family of three went shopping for essentials, but none of it was for them.

Instead, public relations executive Aswirna Sukur, 45, and her parents Abdul Munir Ghazali, 60, and Sharifah Noorriati Syed Amiruddin, 68, used their Sara aid to help those in need.

They pooled their total of RM300 to buy rice, instant noodles, flour, eggs, detergent and canned food.

The groceries were then handed over to three underprivileged families.

“For us, the aid is a bonus. But for others, it can mean so much more.

“With the rising cost of living, many people are under pressure,” said Aswirna when met at the Mydin hypermarket in Bukit Jambul yesterday.

Sharifah Noorriati hopes their small gesture will inspire others to step forward.

Mydin Malaysia’s northern region executive director Azmin Saduruddin said the chain had increased the number of cashier counters following a surge in the number of shoppers using the Sara aid.

To encourage charitable ­giving, Mydin has also launched the ‘‘Pay It Forward – Beli & Derma” initiative, which enables custo­mers to purchase pre-packed combo boxes using their Sara aid to be donated directly to those in need.

In JOHOR BARU, Razina Sew San San, a car sales assistant, 26, decided to extend a helping hand to two families in her neighbourhood by buying items such as 5kg rice, cooking oil and baby products.

“I want to buy groceries for them as one of the families just welcomed a newborn baby while the other family is struggling as the mother just lost her job due to an illness,” she said.

She recalled her own childhood where her family of seven was often helped by Good Samaritans.

For mother of three Nashashila Mohd Nasir, 37, the aid arrived at just the right time as her family is struggling financially due to some setbacks.

“Families like ours really need this, because I have not received my salary yet and my husband’s food stall has not been doing well lately.

“The RM100 aid helps us get by with necessities for at least a week. Since both my husband and I received it, that is RM200 for our household.

“The aid may be small for some but it is meaningful for people like us and we are thankful for what the government is trying to do for the rakyat,” she added.

Single parent Rosli Nun, 33, however, says that the RM100 could only last him and his son for around two weeks.

The fisherman from Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Temun added that he looks forward to future financial assistance to ease the burden.

The RM100 one-off aid, announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on July 23 was part of a wider cost-of-­living relief package.

It was rolled out on Sunday in conjunction with the National Day 2025 celebrations.

Under the Sara initiative, all Malaysian citizens aged 18 and above received the cash assistance credited directly into their MyKad, which can be used to purchase necessities across 14 selected product categories.

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 1): Transactions under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) aid programme hit RM110 million in just two days, with more than 1.7 million recipients making purchases nationwide.

In a statement, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said that as of 9.30pm on Monday, over 900,000 recipients had spent RM60 million nationwide.

The MOF said MyKasih’s system capacity was boosted after Sunday’s (Aug 31) surge, enabling 20% more transactions to be processed on the second day.

However, congestion was still reported at some hypermarkets in urban areas during peak hours, between 1pm and 2.30pm.

“To manage the situation, MyKasih personnel have been stationed at hypermarkets to resolve issues directly and assist traders,” the ministry said.

It also advised the public to shop outside peak hours, particularly in the mornings on weekdays, to ensure smoother transactions.

The one-off RM100 Sara credit channelled directly to recipients’ MyKad is valid until Dec 31, and can be used at more than 7,300 registered retail outlets nationwide.

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ISKANDAR PUTERI, July 1 (Bernama) — The expansion of the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) or basic Rahmah contribution initiative, to benefit 5.4 ISKANDAR PUTERI, July 1 (Bernama) — The expansion of the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) or basic Rahmah contribution initiative, to benefit 5.4 million recipients, starting April 1, has been described as a blessing, particularly for low-income individuals, those who have lost their regular income, and others struggling with the rising cost of living.

For 76-year-old Shaari Yahaya, a retired private sector employee, the SARA aid has been a significant help, especially with the rising cost of basic necessities, after being out of the workforce for decades.

“As a senior citizen who has been retired for a long time, I have no income and rely entirely on my children.

“This SARA aid is very meaningful to me because it allows me to buy essential items like milk, soy sauce, and more.

Today, I’ll first take a look at the items in the supermarket, then decide what to buy,” he said when met by Bernama.

He added that the people hope such initiatives will continue and be further improved to assist more groups in need.

Similarly, 38-year-old mother of three, including a set of twins, Izlaily Nurul Ain Hussein, said that although the SARA assistance of RM100 a month for a year may seem small, it still provides meaningful relief to recipients.

She said she has not yet spent the assistance received since April, and has now accumulated RM300, which she plans to use for household items at the end of this month.

“SARA is not just financial assistance – it’s a reflection of the government’s concern for people in need.

At first, I didn’t know I was eligible for this aid, but after my husband checked and told me, I am very grateful,” she said.

“With twins and another five-year-old child, our family expenses have gone up.

So the SARA aid has helped ease our monthly burden to some extent,” said the part-time private sector employee.

Another recipient, 35-year-old Hafi, who preferred not to disclose his full name, said this was the first time he had received such assistance and described it as extremely helpful.

“I’m more comfortable accumulating the assistance over two or three months before spending it all at once.

That way, I can buy essential items in larger quantities,” said Hafi, who works in the customer service sector and lives in Gelang Patah.

Hafi added that the rising cost of living has forced him to be more frugal, and the SARA assistance has provided some relief in managing his monthly expenses.

Previously, the MADANI Government announced the expansion of the SARA initiative to 5.4 million recipients starting April 1, an almost eightfold increase from the 700,000 beneficiaries previously.