KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 5): The government will begin distributing a one-off RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) to all eligible Malaysian citizens starting Feb 9, with a total allocation of RM2.2 billion.

The assistance will be automatically credited to recipients’ MyKad and can be used until Dec 31, 2026, without the need for any application, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan told the Dewan Rakyat during ministerial question time on Thursday.

Eligibility checks can be made via the Sara portal at sara.gov.my starting Thursday.

Sara is a cashless aid programme introduced to strengthen the country’s social safety net. It currently comprises two components: a monthly targeted assistance programme for vulnerable groups and a one-off RM100 assistance for all Malaysians aged 18 and above.

Amir Hamzah said that in 2025, nearly 5.6 million monthly Sara recipients used their MyKad to purchase essential goods at registered premises, reflecting a utilisation rate of 99%. Total transaction value reached RM4.8 billion out of the RM5 billion allocated.

For the one-off Sara programme that was announced in September, more than 21 million Malaysians, or 96% of total recipients, made purchases, generating transactions exceeding RM2.05 billion in the local market.

He added that RM150 million in unspent or unclaimed one-off Sara funds for 2025 will be reallocated to targeted groups, including residents of protection centres and students with disabilities and special needs, for the purchase of medical devices for poor patients, as well as for the establishment and strengthening of student food banks.

The reallocation aims to ensure transparency and efficiency in public fund management while strengthening the country’s social protection system, particularly for vulnerable groups, Amir Hamzah said.

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