MOF: 15.7m M'sians benefited from Sara since disbursement on Aug 31

A total of 15.7 million Malaysians aged 18 and above have received the one-off Rahmah Necessities Aid (Sara) since it was first disbursed on Aug 31, 2025, until Oct 6 2025, primarily to purchase essential goods.

The Finance Ministry stated on the Parliament website that this figure represents 71 percent of the total 22 million Sara recipients.

“The total value of transactions to date has reached RM1.34 billion. The Sara payment system has undergone significant upgrades to manage the surge in transactions following the implementation of the Sara appreciation initiative and the monthly Sara for recipients of Rahmah Cash Aid,” the ministry said.

The system, which previously handled 540 approved transactions per minute in April 2025, is now capable of processing nearly 2,700 approved transactions per minute smoothly.

The ministry was responding to a question from Khoo Poay Tiong (Harapan–Kota Melaka), who asked the ministry to outline the main issues faced by retailers and the public regarding the implementation of the RM100 one-off Sara, as well as the immediate steps taken by the government to facilitate the initiative.

In response to Hamzah Zainudin (PN–Larut), the ministry said the government remains confident of meeting the 2025 fiscal deficit target of 3.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), despite ongoing risks from cash aid and subsidy reforms.

“These include global geopolitical uncertainties and the implementation of import tariffs by the United States, which could impact global trade.

“All government assistance and programmes are being implemented through prudent fiscal management and responsive monetary policies, which have created sufficient policy space to support the country’s economic stability and resilience,” the ministry added.

- Bernama

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