KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 15.7 million Malaysians aged 18 and above have received the one-off Penghargaan Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) assistance since its first disbursement on August 31, 2025.
The Ministry of Finance stated on the Parliament website that this figure represents 71% of the total 22 million SARA aid recipients.
The ministry confirmed that the assistance was primarily intended for purchasing essential goods.
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 Penghargaan SARA and the monthly SARA assistance for Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipients.
The system previously handled 540 approved transactions per minute in April 2025.
It is now capable of processing nearly 2,700 approved transactions per minute smoothly.
The MOF was responding to a question from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH–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 assistance.
The ministry also addressed the immediate steps taken by the government to facilitate the initiative.
In response to Datuk Seri Hamzah Bin Zainudin (PN–Larut), the MOF said the government remains confident of meeting the 2025 fiscal deficit target of 3.8% of gross domestic product (GDP).
This confidence persists despite ongoing risks from cash aid and subsidy reforms.
These risks 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.
These policies have created sufficient policy space to support the country’s economic stability and resilience. – Bernama