The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the targeted subsidy for the Basic Mercy Contribution (SARA) will be distributed in stages starting today.
Through sharing on his Facebook page, Anwar said the SARA program has been improved with the allocation increasing fivefold to RM700 million compared to RM130 million last year.
He also said that the larger allocation allows the government to increase the number of SARA recipients to 700,000 from the previous 210,000.
The amount of assistance was also increased to RM1,200 which is double the amount from last year.
The implementation of SARA will begin today for recipients in the Peninsular and cash distribution for recipients in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan will begin on February 19.
Sara's aid to recipients in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan will be distributed twice a year, namely RM600 for households and elderly people without spouses and RM300 for singles on February 19 and August 12 through crediting to bank accounts or in cash at Bank Simpanan Nasional branches ( BSN) throughout the country.
In addition, the use of Sara program credits will be extended to three additional categories of basic goods, namely personal hygiene items, medicines and school supplies.
The transformation of Malaysia's economy starts with raising the status of the people. The improvement of the SARA program is an initial step to address the wealth gap and build an inclusive society as mentioned in the MADANI Economy framework.
The government will also announce more improvements to other assistance to raise the economy of the cross-section and uphold the principle of equality.
