Kota Kinabalu: Over 72,000 registered household heads in Sabah have commenced receiving the first phase of the RM300 cash aid as part of the Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat (SYUKUR) 2025 initiative, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali announced.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the aid is being directly credited to recipients’ bank accounts. However, more than 19,000 household heads are still awaiting their payments due to incomplete registration in the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Secretariat system. To address this, Armizan stated that the ministry, also serving as the secretariat of the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL), would implement an outreach program to ensure all eligible recipients receive the aid, particularly before Ramadan.

Armizan urged the SMJ Secretariat, state government, and local representatives to ensure no eligible individual is overlooked. This statement was made following an event focused on advocating for the cost of living and facilitating bank account openings for SYUKUR recipients. The aid targets individuals in the eKasih system and is part of a broader initiative to alleviate financial burdens on those in need.

The SYUKUR 2025 program, launched by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor on February 19, aims to benefit 100,000 people across the state. The distribution of aid will occur in four phases, with the first phase (January-March) starting in February, followed by the second phase (April-June) in April, the third phase (July-September) in September, and the final phase (October-December) in October.

Armizan, also Papar MP, noted that household heads with incomes below the state’s poverty line (RM2,742) or classified as hardcore poor (RM1,218) could apply for the aid via the SMJ Secretariat portal. He emphasized that the initiative, which involves a financial commitment of RM358.5 million, is designed to ensure Sabahans benefit from the state’s increased revenue.

Armizan clarified that the aid is not a political handout but a direct distribution of funds from the enhanced state revenue. He also highlighted that there is no fee for opening a bank account, and recipients would receive the aid directly into their accounts after initial registration.