Recently, the government will increase Bantuan Tunai Rahmah (STR) to RM500 per household this year from RM300 before starting next Monday.
The allocation for STR phase 1 will increase by 26% from the previous year to RM2.1 billion in an effort to help more people deal with the rising cost of living.
Based on the Ministry of Finance statement, the increase will benefit a total of 8.2 million individuals who are eligible to register for STR this year.
The ministry also said that value is expected to increase to about nine million eligible individuals once new applications are received throughout the year.
The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the increase in the cost of living is one of the main issues that are always raised by the local community.
He further said that Anwar understands the hardship and the government is working hard to ensure that aid can be increased immediately so that this basic problem can be solved.
According to him, no one will be left behind under the administration of the Madani government.
Madani Government will ensure that low-income households will continue to be given appropriate assistance. It is in line with the Civil Economy Framework to improve people's quality of life.
They are also always sensitive to the people's complaints and will continue to improve STR assistance in an effort to help the people in facing the cost of living challenge.
The Finance Ministry said Phase 1 payments for registered recipients will be credited into their bank accounts or distributed in cash through Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) in stages starting this Monday. Payment will be made according to the respective STR eligibility category.
The ministry also advises the public to be wary of fake links about the STR program by irresponsible parties.
