KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — Nearly RM11 billion in Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) assistance has been disbursed to eligible recipients as of September 2026, said the Finance Ministry (MOF).
Of that amount, RM3.6 billion was disbursed to STR recipients through three payment phases as of last month.
The government continues to ensure that the RM15 billion allocated for STR and SARA in 2026 delivers tangible benefits to the people, especially low-income groups and vulnerable communities.
"This year, nearly nine million citizens are eligible to receive SARA monthly, while STR is distributed quarterly to eligible households and the elderly.
"The effectiveness of the implementation of STR and SARA can be assessed through several aspects, including recipient coverage, aid utilisation, targeting accuracy and the ability of the aid to meet basic needs," it said in a written response published on the Parliament website.
The MOF was responding to Pagoh MP Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's query on the effectiveness of the RM15 billion allocation for STR and SARA based on basic spending and its distribution to low-income citizens.
It noted that the monthly SARA recorded a utilisation rate of 99.7 per cent, with a transaction value of RM5.2 billion as of September 2026.
Meanwhile, for SARA Untuk Semua, more than 20 million citizens had made purchases, representing 90 per cent of the total number of recipients, with transaction values in the local market amounting to nearly RM1.9 billion.
