Tuesday, January 27, 2026

SARA(STR) KP/IC - Why is the Anwar Madani Government 'destroying' small sundy shops? To use money, Malaysians have to go to certain shops and buy certain brands - so leaving their usual shops?

Maybe GOOD INTENTION but the means of giving AID raises doubts/questions - WAS this program to help certain to help certain Businesses? To help certain BRANDS?

Financial AID is akin giving alms to a beggar or the poor - it is a short term immediate response which does not solve the problem.

SARA money is deposited in the National Registration Identity Card(IC)/Kad Pengenalan(KP), and Malaysians can only utilize this money(financial assistance) only at SELECTED shops ... to buy goods from selected BRANDS using the money in the IC/KP, they have to go to selected shops only (not all) - so this result in a SERIOUS problem to the small sundry shops, that are already suffering with the emergence of supermarkets/Hypermarkets/Mini Mart chains, and now Anwar Ibrahim's MADANI government has maybe 'placed the last nail on the coffin' - further killing these small sundry shops or small establishment that sells sundry items that now exist in every town, Taman and even kampungs... these small shops are usually businesses of those in the B40 group (and lower M40 group).

Small sundry shop's customers have to go to some SELECTED shop to be able to buy sundry items with money in MyKad --- will small sundry shops lose customers?

NO reason why SELECTED businesses only - because the government already has a list of all shops(small and big) that are involved in the sundry business - they need Local Government permits to legally operate.

But, other problem is that the small sundry shops may also not have the EQUIPMENT to read the MyKad?

NEXT issue - the selected products > do all Brands that produce the said product/item get the same 'preference' - that you can buy using the money in your MyKad? This we need to investigate. If NO, why? Is the government giving preferential treatment for some Brands produced by certain companies?

In Malaysia, SARA (Sumbangan Asas Rahmah) is a government aid program where funds, often in one-off amounts like RM100, are credited directly to your MyKad (Malaysian Identity Card) for purchasing essential items at participating stores, with no registration needed for adult citizens to receive it; you check eligibility and balance via the official SARA portal or MyKasih portal. The MyKad acts as the payment method, allowing you to buy necessities like groceries and personal care items by just bringing your card to designated merchants

Meanwhile, Anwar said Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) monthly recipients will receive RM200 in their IC beginning Jan 9. - Star, 5/1/2026

The Sara cash assistance can be used to purchase necessities in 14 product categories at about 4,100 participating premises nationwide.

If a consumer has to go to some bigger shops/supermarkets to use the government assistance in their Identity Card to buy items, they will also buy other items too that are not covered by the SARA scheme?

It would have been BETTER to just transfer the money into the recipient's Bank Account - so he can spend at whichever shop, and buy whatever brands?

Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living must INVESTIGATE - as we are also concerned about the well-being of small sundry shops, and other Malaysian brand products..

Last year, only 69% used the money deposited > thus Anwar's MADANI government FAILED to help the poor - about 31% never utilized this 'aid' - So, is the government giving AID effectively or not (if directly banked into Bank accounts it would have been 100% utilized??? Give AID means GIVE - do not take it back if the recipients not used it please.

“Last year, 69% of Malaysians used STR, and that was nearly RM2.1bil,” he[Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim] said.

This is proof that money disbursed for AID effectively was never used by the intended recipients - 31% never used it? Would it not have been more EFFECTIVE AID if the said monies were directly banked into the BANK accounts of the intended recipients.

What will happen to money not used - go back to the government? AID DELIVERY mechanism BAD and ...and raises question of whether it was to help certain BIG and Medium-sized businesses, be it them 'selected participating stores' or maybe just certain BRANDS that market the selected products which the Aid money could buy..Were some other companies that produced the same/similar products excluded? Were these also Malaysian businesses - note that some of the current 'participating stores' maybe are owned by foreigners > not 100% Malaysians.

Of course a supermarket or a shop, at present, are not required to make available products from ALL brands/companies - as such many even Malaysian companies that produce said products are kept out of consumer market...That maybe a RIGHT of retailers - but detrimental to other producers and the consumer too. Should we have a LAW requiring all supermarkets and big Shops to place all products from all Malaysian companies...especially LOCAL companies. Take COFFEE, there are many local companies producing coffee but we do not see them in most supermarkets and big shops... so consumers find it hard to buy these LOCAL products...

NEXT questions - how much did the said 'SELECTED Business' benefit more by reason of the money in the MyKad?

Before the MyKad Sara Aid and now - how many new consumers that came to their business premises, how much new business and profits from such new consumers - DID Anwar's MADANI government just improve the business/profits of these participating outlets - which translate a LOSS of business to the Local Malaysian small businesses(who are still not listed as 'participating stores') As mentioned earlier, all businesses including shops that sell sundry/healthcare/etc are all registered with the government at the relevant Local Councils - so NO problem for getting the FULL LIST of all these shops/Stores???

Another problem using money in MyKad - the stores need the necessary equipment to scan the MyKad to get the money - this is ADDED cost which many small sundry shops/shops simply cannot afford. Note that most small shops still only accept CASH only, and some may accept payment if you scan QR code and make payments. Most shops do not even have the equipment needed to allow one to pay by Credit or Debit cards yet...and prefer not to simply because then money does not immediately come to them, but need to be obtained later from the relevant Card company.. So, CASH or scan QR codes that money immediately goes into your bank account is PREFFERED and BEST for the poorer businesses.

SO, BEST solution is DIRECT Transfer of the AID into the personal bank accounts of the Receipients

No more, TRANSFER Aid into MyKad, and if you do not spend, the Government may or will take it back.. IF YOU WANT TO GIVE AID, GIVE IT AND NOT USE A DIFFICULT WAY FOR PEOPLE TO USE IT.

WHAT IS THE BEST METHOD TO ASSIST THE POOR?

During the Najib ERA - he used the 1Malaysia Shops and the 1Malaysia products - Who got the 1Malaysia shops(which ultimately failed to attract customers), and the right to produce or package these 1Malaysia products(problem was that the consumer does not simply buy products but also considers the BRAND, the manufacturers and also personal taste/preference). Even rice, there are so many different BRANDS - and customers pick the Brands they like/prefer - CHOICE). That was why the 1Malaysia method failed.

With Anwar and his MADANI government, it is the SARA Aid - but again it is for SELECTED products. selected stores, and maybe also 'selected' Brands -

The best option, in my opinion, is PRICE CONTROL for basic items - RICE, Floor, Cooking Oil, Cooking Gas, Chicken, Eggs, Milk, Selected Local Vegetables, Onion, Garlic, Chili, - This will the BASIC items that people need to have a healthy life in Malaysia. The PRICE will be such that the poorest can afford. Even if the RICH buys, it does not matter as many rich generally will buy more expensive stuff.

If you want a TARGETED approach where the RICH or those who can afford will not benefit from aid to the poor and needy, then do the following

* No SCHOLARSHIP or maybe GOVERNMENT Education LOAN for the RICH for they can certainly afford higher education overseas and even in Malaysia. (Anwar talked about removing subsidies for the rich when they went for HAJ - but since then, there is NO mention of anything else including no more government scholarship or student loans, etc for the RICH - the T20 and the upper middle class that can afford. No houses for the poor, ...

MERE AID to help the poor does not ELIMINATE the problem - better a better solution that may be giving them jobs/skills so that they can earn an income - IT is more dignified than aid or alms that are given time after time...