Kuala Lumpur: As living costs continue to rise, financial aid such as the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) has become an essential support for low-income households, enabling them to manage their family’s basic needs more efficiently and with less financial strain. In Negeri Sembilan: SARA recipient Zainab Baba, 70, felt great relief as she was able to manage her own needs independently, not wanting to burden her children with additional household expenses.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zainab expressed her gratitude for the aid, which she uses to purchase groceries and supplement household necessities. She highlighted the significant increase in aid, from RM1,200 last year to RM1,650 this year, providing much-needed support. Living with her youngest child, the assistance also indirectly reduces the financial burden on her child, who works as a delivery rider.

The SARA programme offers additional support to recipients of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) classified as poor or hardcore poor under eKasih, aiming to improve the economic status of vulnerable groups and reinforce the principle of equity central to the MADANI Economy framework. Since April 1, the programme has expanded to reach 5.4 million recipients, nearly eight times the previous number of 700,000.

Housewife Fazilah Ibrahim, 42, shared that the monthly aid, ranging from RM100 to RM200, has been a valuable support to her husband, who works in a factory earning between RM1,800 and RM2,000 a month. This assistance allows them to purchase essential items for their four children, aged between two and 14.

Meanwhile, in Kelantan, Hasyani Jusoh, 46, from Kampung Sri Kulim, Melor, effectively used the aid to purchase essential kitchen items and school supplies for her five children, easing their reliance on her husband’s income as a labourer.

Additionally, Mohd Zulhairi Awang Soh, 30, from Gunong, Bachok, has benefited from the aid, using it to buy essential items for his nine-month-old child. The assistance significantly alleviates the financial impact of rising costs on daily necessities.

From January to March this year, SARA assistance of RM100 per month was credited to recipients’ MyKad. Starting from April 1, the amount increased to RM200 per month for the purchase of food, beverages, medicine, school items, and personal hygiene items at over 1,600 registered shops and supermarkets nationwide.