RM600 increase in STR will ease burden, says recipient

Rise in relief: The STR allocation for next year has increased from RM8bil to RM10bil, with the first payment being distributed before Ramadan next year. – ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: As a single mother with two children, the additional RM600 in Rahmah Cash Aid (STR) means a lot to Ansaya Dayang Gimbang.

The 35-year-old, who washes clothes for a living here, said she was nearly suffocated by the high cost of living with her mere RM1,500 income per month.

She said the STR increase from RM3,100 to RM3,700, announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his Budget 2024 speech yesterday, would ease a little of her financial burden.

Ansaya, from Sabah, is staying at a rented flat here with her two children, aged eight and nine, following the death of her plumber husband in August 2020.

“It is difficult to live in the city with RM1,500 a month.

“But the families I do laundry for would sometimes give me food to bring home to my children,” she said.

She said she also takes up a waitressing job at a nearby restaurant at night to supplement her income.

“It is tiring to work six days a week, but I have two kids to take care of. I have to be frugal and spend only on essential items,” she added.

The STR allocation for next year has increased by RM2bil or 25%, from RM8bil to RM10bil, with the first payment of RM500 being distributed to recipients before Ramadan, which will start in March next year.

The number of recipients eligible for the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme would also be expanded from 200,000 to 700,000 people under Budget 2024.

Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) deputy president Datuk Paul Selvaraj said the increase of STR is certainly helpful for the B40 community.

“More importantly, the number of Sara recipients has been increased and each will get RM100 per month for a year instead of the current six months.”

However, he also noted that the financial aid of RM100 a month is relatively low given the high cost of living now, and he hoped the sum would gradually be increased.Legal adviser Murad Ali Abdullah, a member of Transparency International Malaysia, said the people’s expectations and desires from a Budget is always high.

“The reality on the ground dictates that generosity must be measured and endowments must be tailored according to the availability of resources and the need to balance the macro stability of the nation,” he said.

Murad added that the STR, Sara and other assistance provided by the government during these “very trying times” must be given due recognition.