KUALA LUMPUR, September 1 — The rollout of the RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) one-off aid saw a massive response, with about 850,000 Malaysians spending more than RM50 million on the first day as of 9.30pm.
The Finance Ministry (MoF) said the overwhelming surge in purchases through the MyKasih payment network caused system slowdowns at several retail outlets nationwide. Despite the delays, transactions continued to be processed, with MoF and MyKasih confirming that system upgrades and maintenance were being carried out to ensure smoother operations from today onwards.
“We apologise for any inconvenience and are working to ensure Sara recipients can continue shopping without disruption,” the ministry said. The RM100 Sara credit, channelled via MyKad, is part of the government’s targeted aid initiative, benefiting over 22 million Malaysians aged 18 and above.
Valid until December 31, 2025, the aid can be used at more than 7,300 registered outlets nationwide, complementing other assistance under the Sara and STR programmes worth up to RM15 billion this year.
