KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 - Phase 4 of Rahmah Cash Aid (STR), amounting to RM1.1 billion, is being disbursed from today to over five million recipients nationwide, in efforts to help people cope with rising living costs, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the payout is in conjunction with the Deepavali celebration and includes recipients of various ethnic backgrounds.
He noted that this aid reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring the people’s welfare, especially those in the low-income group.
“In conjunction with Deepavali, I am announcing that from today until November 6, a total of RM1.1 billion in STR aid will be distributed to more than five million people,” he said during a visit to the Deepavali Mega Bazaar in Brickfields here today.
Also present were Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan, and Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, said STR is not focused on a specific ethnic group but is open to all citizens who are eligible.
He noted that the Indian community also benefits from this initiative, with over 7.4 per cent, or 630,000 recipients, of the total number of STR recipients nationwide.
Meanwhile, he said the government’s cash aid allocation has grown from RM6 billion under the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) scheme in 2018 to RM8 billion under the Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) scheme in 2022.
He added that this figure is set to rise to RM15 billion for STR and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) allocations in 2026, before increasing further to RM16 billion under Budget 2027.
He remarked that this increase demonstrates the government’s commitment to strengthening the social safety net and ensuring aid reaches those in need.
“You can make comparisons, (but) you can also express gratitude. Some might say, ‘It existed before, too’. That is true, but how much was it back then? RM6 billion. And how much is it now? RM16 billion for the people, especially those in the lowest income bracket,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a statement today, the Finance Ministry said STR payments will be processed from today to Friday, while new recipients and those whose appeals were approved will receive their payments from Nov 16.
Of this total, four million are households with an income of RM5,000 or less, while 1.4 million are unmarried senior citizens.
Based on eligibility categories, households will receive up to RM500, while unmarried senior citizens will receive RM150.
MOF also said recipients with bank accounts will receive payments via direct credit, while those without bank accounts may collect the payout in cash at any Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) branch.
