Kuala lumpur: The Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme not only helps ease the public’s burden in purchasing essential goods but also generates a multiplier effect for local industry players, including supermarkets, retailers, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Everwin Papar Supermarket executive Changes Wong stated that the implementation of SARA has provided supermarkets with opportunities to increase sales, particularly for essential goods.
Wong noted a noticeable rise in both sales and customer traffic, as recipients purchase daily essentials such as rice, cooking oil, eggs, flour, and condensed milk. Through SARA, consumers manage their spending more effectively, stretching the RM100 they receive each month to buy larger quantities of essential goods.
Noratikah Abdullah, supervisor at Golden Dragon City Supermarket in Kinarut, observed that the implementation of SARA has positively impacted the store’s operations, boosting sales and customer numbers by up to 80 percent since the programme’s launch. The supermarket has doubled its stock of essential items and holds weekly Rahmah Sales promotions, offering goods at lower prices to enable SARA recipients to maximize their allocation.
Dayang Norhaini Anderias, supervisor at Bataras Putatan Supermarket, reported that the store maintains a sufficient monthly supply of essential goods to ensure the programme runs smoothly. SARA recipients typically purchase essentials during the first week of each month, which often results in crowded checkout counters. Although some MSME products are included in the programme, awareness among customers remains limited.
Petty trader Chin Araman, who started his vegetable bosou business earlier this year, shared that SARA has helped offset the costs of raw materials used in production. Vegetable bosou, a traditional dish of the Kadazandusun community in Sabah, is prepared by fermenting vegetables and is usually saut©ed with onions and ginger before serving.
Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) Datuk Ewon Benedick highlighted that purchases of essential items under the SARA programme create ripple effects for MSME entrepreneurs by driving increased demand throughout the supply chain. SARA items purchases establish a supply chain benefiting the entire ecosystem, from producers and distributors to retailers.
SARA is a targeted cash assistance initiative reaching 5.4 million recipients nationwide, including 700,000 eKasih households and 4.7 million Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) beneficiaries. Under Budget 2025, allocations for STR and SARA have increased to RM13 billion from RM10 billion, with the annual SARA payment raised from RM1,200 to RM2,100.
In conjunction with National Day, the government announced the one-off SARA Appreciation aid, a RM100 cash credit via MyKad for all Malaysians aged 18 and above, benefiting 22 million people. With an additional RM2 billion allocation, total funding for STR and SARA this year reaches RM15 billion, the highest in the nation’s cash aid programmes.
To date, over 8,100 retail stores nationwide have participated in the programme, offering more than 90,000 essential items across 14 categories, including rice, eggs, medicines, cleaning supplies, school materials, and hygiene products.