Why is this topic relevant to me?
The MyKad in our wallets does more than verify our identity — it also carries Government aid meant for daily necessities. What that money actually gets spent on tells us a great deal about what Malaysians need most during a period of rising prices.
We’ve all had that moment at the supermarket: standing in front of the shelf, hesitating over whether to put a tin of Milo or a packet of sugar into the trolley because the price has gone up again.
“Ugh… prices have gone up again. Let’s hold off — maybe another supermarket has it cheaper?”
That’s a genuine thought that runs through many consumers’ minds when faced with rising prices.
Now, with the Government’s Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) scheme, as long as there’s balance left on the card, buying daily necessities comes with a little less price anxiety, and a little more room to choose.
SARA goes cashless to ensure aid reaches its target
Since 2024, the Government has provided Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipients with at least RM50 a month through SARA Bulanan (Monthly Basic Rahmah Contribution). By the end of August last year, all citizens aged 18 and above also received a one-off RM100 under SARA Untuk Semua (Basic Rahmah Contribution For All), with a second payment following this February.
This isn’t a cash transfer. Through MyKasih Foundation’s cashless payment platform, the money is credited directly onto recipients’ MyKad and can only be used to purchase approved categories of basic goods — ensuring the aid genuinely reaches those in need and isn’t diverted elsewhere.
RM50 or RM100 might normally cover a decent meal out, or something you like. But when the money can only go towards everyday essentials, where does it actually end up being spent?
Over 22 million people, 800 million essential items purchased
According to figures released by MyKasih Foundation, at least 22 million Malaysians used SARA to buy a cumulative 800 million essential items in 2025.
So what exactly are people buying with SARA?
Seasonings such as salt and sugar, along with beverages like Milo and coffee, were the most commonly purchased essentials, each running into the hundreds of millions of units — together making up nearly a quarter of total purchases. Noodles, biscuits and tinned food rounded out the top five.
The ranking isn’t surprising: seasonings, alongside rice and cooking oil, are kitchen staples in every household. Whenever prices fluctuate, these unassuming, everyday items are usually the first things people stock up on.
At the bottom of the list were school supplies — items like uniforms, textbooks and stationery — with purchase volumes only in the tens of thousands.
The 20 most-purchased essentials nationwide
Looking closely at the 20 best-selling essentials nationwide, “PRAI” brand coarse sugar came out on top with nearly 19.38 million units sold, followed closely by Maggi curry noodles (around 15.4 million units) and “CSR” brand fine sugar (around 12.8 million units). With two sugar products taking two of the top three spots, this echoes the earlier finding that “seasonings” dominate their category — showing that sugar isn’t just for flavouring, but a basic recurring expense for many households’ three daily meals.
In the beverages category, Milo made the top 20 in four different pack sizes at once — 900g, 1.8kg, original instant sachets, and 1kg — the only brand to appear on the list four times over, underlining just how central Milo is to local households. Cooking oil similarly claimed four spots across different brands and volumes.
Rice, by comparison, also took four spots, but individual product volumes generally sat between 600,000 and 900,000 units — far below the tens of millions racked up by sugar, noodles and Milo.
The Government has spent big — but has the money hit the mark?
Since 2024, the Government has allocated a cumulative RM18 billion to the SARA scheme — roughly 4% of the annual budget.
Second Finance Minister Amir Hamzah revealed that last year, 99% of Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah recipients used SARA via their MyKad, generating RM4.8 billion in local market transactions.
As for the one-off SARA Untuk Semua payment, more than 21 million Malaysians — 96% of recipients — spent it last year, generating more than RM2.05 billion in local market transactions.
He stressed that distributing aid via MyKad allows the Government to effectively monitor the scheme’s implementation, ensuring that the intended groups genuinely benefit from the assistance.
In short, SARA hasn’t just put money into the hands of those who need it most — it’s translated almost directly into the seasonings, beverages and staple foods sitting in kitchens across the country.