Kuala lumpur: An estimated 5.6 million recipients eligible for the monthly SARA aid have been recorded, with total entitlements reaching RM5 billion a year, said Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan. He stated that as of December 17, nearly 5.6 million SARA recipients, including newly approved ones, had utilized their MyKad to purchase basic goods at registered outlets, reflecting a 99 percent usage rate, with total spending amounting to RM4.59 billion.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the one-off SARA Appreciation payment to over 22 million adult Malaysians saw more than 20 million people spending the funds, equating to 92 percent of all recipients, with spending exceeding RM1.91 billion. Amir Hamzah shared these figures during a session in the Dewan Negara in response to Senator Mohd Hasbie Muda's inquiry about the Finance Ministry's long-term measures to ensure targeted subsidies are implemented without technical issues related to the misuse of MyKad for SARA aid.

The minister highlighted that the SARA payment system's capacity has been significantly improved to accommodate the increased transactions following the rollout of the SARA Appreciation payment and the monthly Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah cash assistance. The system currently handles 7,000 transactions per minute, compared to 2,700 transactions per minute previously, and is expected to reach 10,000 transactions per minute after system upgrades at the end of 2025. Presently, the average transactions per minute is 1,000, accounting for system stability and purchases made by recipients.

Amir Hamzah expressed confidence in the government's ability to manage the SARA aid, citing high usage rates as an indicator of success. He addressed concerns about monthly SARA expenditures, stating that any remaining credit cannot be carried over to the next year. However, since usage levels have exceeded 90 percent, this is not anticipated to pose any issues.