KUCHING: Delivering the one-off RM100 Rahmah Basic Assistance (Sara) Appreciation Aid through the MyKad makes it easier for the people to buy daily necessities, say recipients.
Sharifah Hafizah Wan Adeni, a 39-year-old student management assistant, said the government initiative is convenient and secure, as it helps avoid the risk of losing cash.
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She suggested that more retailers should accept the MyKad method and that payment terminals should be well maintained to ensure they are in good working order.
"There should be more shops accepting such transactions, and all store counters must be fully operational for payments using MyKad,” she said when interviewed recently.
The appreciation aid, which was credited to the MyKad of all citizens aged 18 and above from Aug 31, may be used until Dec 31 at over 4,100 retail grocery stores and supermarkets nationwide.
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Teacher Mohd Amiruddin Muhiddin, 36, said the assistance via MyKad helps people manage their spending and prevents the misuse of cash.
He hoped the redemption method could be expanded to include Rahmah Sales.
"I will use it to buy monthly essentials like soap and detergent, so my leftover salary can be used for other expenses," he said.
Meanwhile, James Gasing, a 50-year-old military retiree in Sibu, also shared the view that using the MyKad for verification is a good measure to prevent credit misuse.
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The father of five proposed making the aid redeemable via e-wallets and expanding the list of eligible items to include petrol.
"We request that participating stores open more counters to make it easier for the public," he added.
He said using the MyKad for verification is a good step, but the technical issues should can be resolved.
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"Some recipients faced problems during redemption because the chip in their identification card could not be read by the payment device," he said.
His wife Losna Taham said she plans to redeem her appreciation aid later this month to help with the family's expenses.
"Based on our usual family budget, the RM200 worth of necessities we can buy will cover us for more than three to four months.
"This is very helpful for my family. It may seem small, but it makes a big difference,” she said. – Bernama
