KUALA LUMPUR: The congestion during the launch of the Penghargaan Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) aid programme was temporary and not caused by the limited redemption window, says the Finance Ministry.
The ministry was responding to comments by Consumers Association of Penang president Mohideen Abdul Kader, who told The Star that feedback suggests the rush to redeem the aid within a limited window led to congestion, long queues and frustration among beneficiaries.
“This characterisation does not reflect the structure of the programme, nor the actual cause of the temporary congestion experienced.
“The surge in transactions occurred specifically on Aug 31 this year, the day the Penghargaan Sara was disbursed.
“Unlike the monthly Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme (an extension of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah programme that currently supports 5.4 million recipients), Penghargaan Sara is provided to all Malaysians aged 18 and above,” it said in a statement yesterday.
The ministry said this expanded the eligible pool to about 22 million people overnight, cutting across all income groups.
“The initial transaction volume spike was driven largely by non-B40 users redeeming the RM100 credit immediately upon disbursement, which placed unusual pressure on payment terminals on that first day.
“The MyKasih Foundation (the non-profit partner administering both Sara and Penghargaan Sara) responded promptly.
“Within four days, MyKasih had increased its terminal processing capacity by threefold,” it said.
After that, the combined successful transaction rate for Sara and Penghargaan Sara rose from 79% on Aug 31 to over 99% by Sept 3, and has since remained stable, the ministry noted.
“The temporary issue was addressed swiftly and did not impede beneficiaries’ access beyond the initial surge,” it said.
It said that with the next Penghargaan Sara, scheduled for disbursement in February 2026, the upgraded capacity was expected to accommodate the anticipated transaction load of around 22 million eligible users.
“It is also important to note that Sara and Penghargaan Sara credits are valid for use throughout the year and not within a narrow window.
“There is therefore no requirement for recipients to redeem their credits immediately.
“The congestion during the launch on Aug 31 should not be construed as evidence of any operational limitation,” it said.
