KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — Putrajaya officially rolled out the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) today, involving RM2.2 billion allocation as part of broader efforts aimed at easing the cost of living.

Under this expanded programme, more than 22 million adult MyKad holders are eligible to receive a one-off RM100 credit. The aid is valid for use until December 31, 2026.

“A key feature of the SARA for All initiative is its cumulative nature within a single household.

“Since the aid is tied to individual eligibility, families can receive “double” or multiple sets of assistance based on the number of qualifying adults in the home,” the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

“For instance, a household comprising a husband, wife, and two children aged 18 and above will receive a total of RM400 in SARA credit. This is notably separate from the monthly SARA assistance for those who qualify under separate low-income criteria,” it added.

The second SARA disbursement followed public feedback calling for improvement. The government said it introduced several upgrades to ensure the scheme is both flexible and user-friendly.

The most significant update is the expansion of eligible product categories.

The government has now included frozen food in the list of claimable items, bringing the total number of basic necessity categories to 15.

“Based on the feedback received, the Madani Government agreed to broaden the SARA categories. This addition increases the variety of eligible items to 140,000 types of goods,” the ministry said.

The move is expected to provide greater convenience for urban households and working parents who rely on a wider variety of food options, it added.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in a New Year message that the government aims to increase the participation of small retail stores as SARA business partners to 10,000 outlets by the end of 2026.

The maximum distance to the nearest retail store that offers SARA will also be reduced from 10 kilometers to 7 kilometers.

The public can check their crediting status and access Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding SARA for All through the official SARA portal at https://sara.gov.my.