Asia-Times_20250306
There are also SARA designated shops in Marudi
Hope Amidst Hardship: Gov’t AidSustains Terengganu Family’sFight
General>News
KUALA TERENGGANU, Feb 22 (Bernama) — Mohd Khairul Aswal Ngah enjoyed a comfortable life as an entrepreneur supplying office equipment but unexpected challenges arose, destroying everything he had built and testing his family’s resilience.
In 2020, the family faced a major challenge when their youngest son, Sulaiman Akif, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at just one month old. The COVID-19 pandemic and the Movement Control Order (MCO) added to the family’s difficulties that same year.
The situation left their lives in turmoil as his business and his wife, Rohidayah Mohamad, 45, had to shut down her catering and pastry business.
Things became even more challenging when his wife was diagnosed with stage five kidney disease in July last year, requiring regular dialysis treatment.
Mohd Khairul Aswal now dedicates most of his time to caring for his family while working as a house-to-house electrical appliance repairman, earning some RM600 monthly.
Due to a lack of stable income, Mohd Khairul Aswal was forced to make tough decisions, selling his vehicles and business equipment one by one to afford medical treatments for his wife and son.
“My wife’s treatment costs about RM600 per month. In addition to that, Sulaiman Akif’s expenses total nearly RM800, which includes medication, milk, and diapers. I also have to consider the school expenses for my eldest son, Muhammad Aniq Haikal, who is 12years old,” he shared with Bernama when met at his home in Manir, Kuala Terengganu.
Now, a motorcycle is their only mode of transportation to Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah (HSNZ) for treatment. Braving the rain and heat during these trips, Mohd Khairul Aswal is always anxious that his wife or son might suddenly become ill while on the road.
“My wife needs to visit the hospital three times a month, and my son goes twice a month. When we are desperate, I use e-hailing services, but I can’t do it often because we can’t afford it,” he said sadly.
Despite facing such challenges, Mohd Khairul Aswal is thankful for the various government aid he has received. These include the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR), which he started receiving last year, the Bantuan Awal Persekolahan (BAP) for his son, Muhammad Aniq Haikal, and the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA), which he will receive from this year.
He said the STR, received in phases – including RM500 on Jan 21 – is used to cover medical expenses for both his wife and son, as well as to purchase groceries.
Similarly, the SARA aid he began receiving this year also alleviates his financial burden, especially since the aid amount has increased to RM2,100 this year from RM1,200.
Mohd Khairul Aswal also shared the challenge of managing Sulaiman Akif’s diet, as his medication has increased his appetite.
“Sulaiman sometimes asks for food as early as 3 am, so we always need enough supplies at home. We must ensure that we have atleast rice or bread on hand. Thanks to STR and SARA, Insya Allah, we won’t run out of food supplies,” he said with a smile.
The BAP aid is a blessing for Muhammad Aniq Haikal, as it helps cover the increasing costs of school supplies.
“Muhammad Aniq Haikal loves sports, particularly football and athletics. Whenever the BAP aid is deposited, I purchase two pairs of track pants for him for the entire year, along with school uniforms and books,” Mohd Khairul Aswal said.
He added that the various aid received has been a beacon of hope for his family.
— BERNAMA
SARA Programme: Getting more premises involved
KPDN, MOF to expand SARA programme to rural areas
SANDAKAN: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) will be working with the Finance Ministry (MOF) to increase the number of premises involved in the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme, particularly in rural and remote areas.
KPDN Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said as of yesterday, 1,700 supermarkets and grocery stores had been enlisted as SARA programme implementers, making it more convenient for people to make purchases at designated outlets.
“As the ministry responsible for retail, we are collaborating with MOF, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, where geographical and infrastructure challenges exist. Our goal is to expand the programme in rural and remote areas so that residents do not have to travel far for essential purchases.
“In 2025, SARA implementation will be expanded in Sabah and Sarawak, with aid being credited monthly to recipients’ MyKad instead of the previous method of cash payments twice a year. This expansion will take place once 340 premises in Sabah and 320 in Sarawak are included in the programme,“ he said after attending the Rahmah MADANI sale programme here today.
He added that the MADANI government has allocated RM13 billion this year for Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and SARA, with RM8 billion for STR and RM5 billion for SARA.
Meanwhile, Armizan praised the Sabah and Sarawak governments for introducing targeted initiatives to ease the cost of living, which align with federal efforts to assist the people.
“We appreciate the Sabah and Sarawak governments for implementing direct cash assistance programmes to help their people cope with rising living costs
“In Sabah, the programme is called Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat Sabah (SYUKUR), while in Sarawak, it is known as Sumbangan Keperluan Asas Sarawak (SKAS),“ he said.
Armizan added that the government is committed to implementing various strategies across ministries and agencies to address cost-of-living challenges nationwide.
SARA 2025 – Infografik
20250209_Harian-Metro-1
Source: Harian Metro
Penerima SARA di Sabah disaran bayar guna MyKad
09 Februari 2025 03:36pm
PENAMPANG – Penerima Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) di negeri ini digalakkan untuk mengaplikasikan pembayaran menggunakan MyKad di premis terpilih selepas pelaksanaannya diperluaskan ke Sabah dan Sarawak.
Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Kos Sara Hidup (KPDN), Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali berkata, sebelum ini pelaksanaan di Sabah dan Sarawak diberikan melalui tunai namun sumbangan tersebut mengambil tempoh yang lama untuk diserahkan kepada penerima.
“Beza Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) dengan SARA, STR adalah pemberian sumbangan kerajaan melalui kaedah tunai yang dimasukkan ke dalam akaun penerima, manakala SARA pula fungsinya adalah untuk pembelian barangan keperluan asas.
“Jadi sebelum ini kerana masalah logistik dan isu berkaitan dengan mekanisme maka diberikan tunai juga.
“Tapi Alhamdulillah mulai tahun ini di Sabah dan Sarawak juga menggunakan terminal yang diberikan kepada pasar raya yang terlibat di mana pengguna boleh datang bawa MyKad dan membuat pembayaran selain boleh menyemak berapa baki yang ada,” katanya ketika meninjau Program Jualan Rahmah Madani (PJRM) di salah sebuah pasar raya di sini pada Ahad.
Jelasnya lagi, kaedah digunakan itu sebenarnya lebih mudah dan ia juga diperluaskan bukan sahaja di bandar tetapi juga di daerah lain.
“Pelaksanaannya di semua peringkat di Sabah namun butirannya boleh disemak di laman sesawang Kementerian Kewangan lokasi premis yang menyediakan kaedah SARA ini.
“Saya juga mengalu-alukan premis perniagaan yang ingin menyertai program ini bolehlah memohon kepada Kementerian Kewangan bagi membolehkan rakyat dapat memanfaatkan pembelian barangan keperluan sumbangan kerajaan ini,” katanya.
Penggunaan MyKad untuk SARA meluas, Kelantan dan Perlis tertinggi
Oleh Fahmy A Rosli – Februari 6, 2025 @ 12:02pm
fahmy.azril@bh.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Penerima Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) yang menerima bantuan melalui MyKad tidak berdepan sebarang masalah untuk membelanjakan wang diterima menggunakan kaedah itu.
Menteri Kewangan II, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, berkata ia berdasarkan trend perbelanjaan 700,000 penerima SARA dalam kalangan golongan miskin dan miskin tegar dalam rekod eKasih yang menerima bantuan itu pada 15 Januari lalu.
“Penggunaan MyKad untuk SARA telah meluas pada tahun lalu. Kita nampak penggunaan lebih 90 peratus di kebanyakan negeri. Kita rasa tidak ada isu.
“Melihat kepada prestasi pelaksanaan program SARA pada 2024 yang turut melibatkan kawasan luar bandar di Semenanjung Malaysia, kadar penggunaan tertinggi telah dicatatkan di Kelantan dan Perlis dengan 97 peratus tuntutan.
“Disusuli Terengganu dan Kedah dengan 95 peratus tuntutan melalui penggunaan MyKad dalam pembelian di lebih 700 buah kedai runcit terlibat,” katanya pada Sesi Waktu Pertanyaan-Pertanyaan Menteri (MQT) di Dewan Rakyat hari ini.
Setakat 5 Februari lalu, Amir Hamzah berkata lebih RM50 juta telah dibelanjakan oleh 700,000 penerima SARA kategori miskin dan miskin tegar bagi pembelian barangan keperluan asas di lebih 1,600 pasar raya dan kedai runcit terlibat.
Melihat kelancaran itu, beliau berkata kerajaan bercadang untuk menambah lebih banyak kedai runcit dan pasar raya untuk memberi lebih kesenangan kepada penerima bantuan berkenaan.
“Apa yang kerajaan lakukan adalah untuk menambah kedai dan pasar raya yang boleh menggunakan (MyKad) ini agar menyenangkan penerima sedia ada,” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian menjawab soalan Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy (BN-Kalabakan) yang meminta kerajaan menyatakan sejauh mana pendekatan kerajaan dalam memperluaskan program SARA dengan menyalurkan bantuan melalui MyKAd untuk tahun ini agar lebih optimum dan berkesan berbanding kaedah pemberian Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) secara tunai.
Menjawab soalan mengenai perluasan SARA melalui MyKad di Sabah dan Sarawak, Amir Hamzah berkata ketika ini terdapat 210,000 penerima SARA di kedua-dua negeri berkenaan, masing-masing 110,000 di Sabah dan 100,000 di Sarawak.
Setakat 5 Februari lalu, beliau berkata sebanyak 82 peratus penerima isi rumah di Sabah dan 78 peratus penerima isi rumah di Sarawak mula membuat perbelanjaan sejak 15 Januari lalu.
Ia membabitkan lebih 560 buah kedai runcit berdaftar di Sabah dan Sarawak termasuk di kawasan pedalaman.