KUALA LUMPUR: With over 10,000 shops nationwide serving as merchant partners for the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) initiative, the government may allow smaller traders and grocery stores to be involved, says Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong.
"The government will continually review the requirements to become a Sara Merchant Partner to ensure that local grocery shops and small traders are also directly involved, in line with the Prime Minister’s New Year Address on Jan 5, which aims to include an additional 10,000 small operators in 2026," he told the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Jan 28).
He said participating merchants are required to fulfil certain requirements, including selling at least seven basic food items such as rice, milk, flour, cooking oil and canned goods from 14 specified categories; having a valid Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) registration; holding a Business Premises Licence;having a Tax Identification Number (TIN); and adopting a point of sale (POS) system.
"The list is not final, and since the Prime Minister’s announcement regarding the Sara programme, the number has continued to grow.
"Numerous applications have been received to date, and each application will be processed according to the established procedures," he added.
Liew said the government tries to expedite each application within two weeks after complete documentation is received.
"The government continues to monitor the situation to ensure that government assistance programmes are delivered to those in need, to address the challenges of the cost of living," he said.
The government has allocated RM15bil for the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sara programmes this year, compared to RM8bil in 2022.
The number of participating stores stands at 10,447, up from 700 stores in 2024, and the number will increase from time to time, Liew added.
"These include supermarkets, grocery stores, cooperative stores, and mini-markets in urban, rural, and interior areas to ensure that more recipients have easy access to this assistance.
"In Sarawak alone, 1,096 premises have been registered as Sara Merchant Partners," he said.
Oscar Ling (PH-Sibu) had asked why the approval process for the MyKasih Store Initiative is still taking a long time. He also sought clarification on the eligibility criteria for merchants.
