PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, July 23, 2025 – In a historic move, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the Rahmah Basic Assistance (SARA) programme, ensuring every Malaysian citizen aged 18 and above receives a one-off payment of RM100 via MyKad in conjunction with the National Day celebration on August 31, 2025.
The initiative, themed “PERTAMA: SARA untuk SEMUA” (First: SARA for All), allows recipients to spend the aid from August 31, 2025, until December 31, 2025, on essential goods at over 4,100 participating outlets nationwide, including major supermarkets like Mydin, Lotus, Econsave, and 99Speedmart, as well as local retail stores across all districts.
Unlike previous aid programmes, SARA is distributed on an individual basis rather than per household. For example, a household comprising a husband, wife, and two adult children would receive a total of RM400.
The programme is expected to benefit 22 million Malaysians, with a total allocation of RM2 billion, increasing the combined budget for Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and SARA from RM13 billion to RM15 billion for 2025.
This marks the first time in Malaysia’s history that cash assistance is extended to all adult citizens.
Acknowledging that some may not need the aid, the Prime Minister urged those with means to forgo spending the amount, allowing unutilised funds to be redistributed to support vulnerable groups in future assistance programmes next year.