PUTRAJAYA, 26 Mac — Menteri Komunikasi Datuk Fahmi Fadzil merangkap jurucakap Kerajaan Perpaduan ketika sidang media mingguan Kabinet di Kementerian Komunikasi hari ini. –foto BERNAMA (2025) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA
PUTRAJAYA, 26 Mac- Peluasan pelaksanaan Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) kepada 5.4 juta orang bermula 1 April ini memberi manfaat besar kepada rakyat sekali gus membantu penerima membeli barangan makanan dan keperluan asas.
Pada sidang media mingguan di sini hari ini, Jurucakap Kerajaan MADANI yang juga Menteri Komunikasi Datuk Fahmi Fadzil berkata jumlah yang akan diterima ialah antara RM50 hingga RM200 sebulan bagi tempoh yang telah dinyatakan.
“Kita boleh muat turun soalan lazim yang telah disediakan oleh Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri yang turut mengandungi kesemua 3,500 premis yang boleh dilawati untuk membuat pembelian menggunakan MyKad di seluruh negara,” katanya.
Beliau berkata SARA yang dikreditkan secara bulanan dalam MyKad boleh digunakan hingga 31 Disember ini.
“Ia adalah untuk kegunaan membeli barang-barang makanan asas, barangan kebersihan diri, ubat dan peralatan persekolahan,” katanya.
Terdahulu, Kerajaan MADANI mengumumkan peluasan pelaksanaan SARA kepada 5.4 juta penerima bermula 1 April, meningkat hampir lapan kali ganda berbanding 700,000 penerima sedia ada.
Kementerian Kewangan dalam kenyataan hari ini memaklumkan penerima yang layak akan menerima bantuan sehingga RM2,100, meningkat sebanyak 75 peratus berbanding RM1,200 pada 2024.
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata SARA merupakan pendekatan bantuan secara bersasar, dengan sebahagian pertambahan hasil negara serta penjimatan daripada perbelanjaan subsidi diagihkan semula bagi membantu mereka yang benar-benar memerlukan.
Menteri Kewangan itu berkata penyaluran SARA melalui MyKad juga bersasar kerana kaedah tersebut memastikan golongan sasar menerima manfaatnya dalam bentuk barangan asas. -BERNAMA
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
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.
