Aid helps single mums stretch the ringgit

The Star

18 hours ago

Value for money: Nor Laily Azura (right) and Noraini buying daily necessities using Sara aid at a supermarket. — Bernama
KUALA NERUS: The Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) financial aid via MyKad not only ensures assistance reaches deserving people but also allows recipients to benefit from special promotional prices at some supermarkets.
Sharing her experience, domestic helper Noraini Sidek@Ali, 49, said certain supermarkets in the district here offer lower prices to Sara recipients who pay using MyKad.
'They give special prices to help people in the B40 group like us.
'This way, I feel the aid goes to the right people,' the single mother of four told Bernama.
Noraini, who earns around RM600 a month and also receives state government aid, said the RM100 monthly assistance she has been getting since April has been a big help in buying basic necessities.
'It helps me save a little each month because I don't have to worry so much about grocery expenses,' she said.
Noraini's younger sister, Nor Laily Azura, is also a Sara recipient.
Life has been tough for Nor Laily, whose husband died in a road accident in 2019. She has two daughters, aged six and 11.
Despite getting her late husband's pension and being a recipient of state government aid, she earns just RM400 a month as a homestay helper.
'I can't take a full-time job now because I have to care for my children and my elderly father.
'Thankfully, since March, I've been receiving RM200 a month from Sara. At least I don't have to worry so much about grocery expenses,' she said.
For both Noraini and Nor Laily, the Sara assistance delivered directly via MyKad not only helps ease their financial burden but also makes life easier for single mothers taking care of their children and other daily responsibilities.
This targeted cash aid initiative for those most in need has now been expanded to benefit 5.4 million recipients, comprising 700,000 existing beneficiaries under eKasih and 4.7 million under the Sumbangan Tunai Rah­mah (STR).
Under Budget 2025, allocations for STR and Sara have been increased to RM13bil from RM10bil previously, with the annual Sara aid raised to RM2,100 from RM1,200 last year.
The initiative is part of the Madani Economy framework, which focuses on empowering low-income households through fair opportunities, better living standards and comprehensive social protection.
In conjunction with National Day, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last Tuesday announced a one-off RM100 payment to all Malaysian citizens aged 18 and above.
The payment, credited directly to recipients' MyKad under Sara, will benefit 22 million Malaysians.
The allocation involves an extra RM2bil, bringing the total funding for STR and Sara this year to RM15bil, the highest in the nation's history for cash assistance.
The funds can be utilised from Aug 31 to Dec 31 at more than 4,500 shops and supermarkets nationwide.