KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — The second phase of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) programme is slated to roll out by the middle of Ramadan, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
This rollout will be for the bottom 40 income group (B40), he said.
“I have told the Finance Ministry to lighten the burden of the people with the STR, which should be rolled out by mid-Ramadan, early April... hopefully, two weeks before Hari Raya, for the second phase for the B40.
“The improvement was made in Budget 2023, as the STR has a maximum value of RM3,100; for Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM), there is another RM2,000.
“For the hardcore poor, there is an additional RM600 allocation, along with BKM for single parents with children (RM500) and senior citizens (RM300),” Anwar told Parliament during Prime Minister’s Question Time.
The STR is a cash assistance programme for the B40 group under the Finance Ministry and had benefitted 8.7 million people with an allocation of nearly RM8 billion.
Under the first phase of the STR initiative, a total of RM1.67 billion has been rolled out in stages since January 17.
“As of March 13, 320,103 applicants have received (the aid). For those who are eligible, I advise them to send in their application before March 31, so that the aid can be channelled in time for Ramadan,” Anwar added.
