RANAU: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) has proposed allowing the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) aid to be used at mobile Madani Rahmah Sales locations.
Its minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the proposal aims to improve access for communities in rural and remote areas, who may otherwise struggle to redeem the aid due to limited fixed retail premises in their districts.
At present, there are 4,152 authorised premises nationwide where the credit can be used, including only 470 in Sabah. These are mostly permanent outlets such as supermarkets approved under the Finance Ministry.
“To reach more people, especially those outside urban centres, we are propose that Sara redemptions can be made at mobile Rahmah Sales locations,” he said at the ministry's carnival and Buy Malaysian Goods Campaign in Ranau, Saturday (July 26).
“These mobile outlets include sales of local Malaysian products and essential items, and are regularly deployed across rural districts. We believe expanding redemption options beyond the fixed premises would significantly improve access, particularly in Sabah,” he added.
Meanwhile, an extra RM100 in Sara aid — a one-off cashless aid credited to MyKad starting Aug 31 — is open to all Malaysians aged 18 and above. It is part of an additional RM2bil allocation announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on July 23, bringing the total allocation under Sara and Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) to RM15bil this year.
The expansion of mobile Madani Rahmah Sales is supported by an additional RM300mil allocation under the government’s Payung Rahmah initiative. The Cost of Living Ministry is targeting 20,000 mobile Rahmah sales sessions nationwide this year, with 2,276 planned for Sabah alone. Between January and July, 1,089 sessions have already been carried out in the state.
As of July 2025, Sabah has received RM410mil in STR aid for 830,000 recipients, while RM500mil in Sara assistance has been disbursed to 506,000 people.
The carnival and KBBM in Ranau is part of a broader outreach initiative to promote local products, reduce import dependency, and bring government services directly to grassroots communities.
“This is not just about aid distribution, but strengthening our local economy and empowering micro and small enterprises,” Armizan said.
