Sara aid sees strong start as 850,000 Malaysians spend RM50m on first day, system faces strain

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Around 850,000 Malaysians spent over RM50 million on the first day of the RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) one-off aid rollout as of 9.30pm yesterday.

In a statement, the Finance Ministry (MoF) said the overwhelming response triggered a sharp spike in transactions, which led to significant slowdowns at several outlets using the MyKasih payment terminal system.

Despite the delays, transactions were still being received and processed. The ministry said measures had been taken with MyKasih to increase system capacity to ensure smoother transactions starting Sept 1, 2025. Maintenance work was also scheduled overnight to stabilise the system.

The MoF apologised for the inconvenience and gave its assurance that the initiative would continue to be closely monitored to ensure seamless implementation.

It noted that transaction volume yesterday far exceeded normal levels, as the Sara programme had previously averaged about 600,000 daily transactions each month up to Aug 30.

The ministry also reminded recipients that the RM100 Sara credit remains valid until Dec 31, 2025, and can be redeemed at more than 7,300 registered retail outlets nationwide.

The one-off aid is credited directly into MyKad for over 22 million Malaysians aged 18 and above. — Bernama