By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, July 23 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today announced a special one-off RM100 cash aid for all adult Malaysians, alongside an additional public holiday on September 15, as part of this year’s National and Malaysia Day celebrations.
The cash assistance, under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme, will be disbursed to every citizen aged 18 and above through their MyKad.
He said the cash aid can be used to purchase essential items from August 31 to December 31.
“This aid is given individually, not by household. That means a family of four adults, husband, wife, and two grown-up children, will receive RM400,” he said in a special address today.
Anwar said the aid is applicable to be used at over 4,100 participating retail outlets, including Mydin, Lotus’s, Econsave, 99 Speedmart and selected local convenience stores across all districts.
The initiative is expected to benefit some 22 million Malaysians and will involve an allocation of RM2 billion.
He also stated that any unspent amount in the individual MyKad balance by the end of the year may be rechannelled to assist vulnerable groups in 2026.
Meanwhile, Anwar announced that September 15 (Monday) will be declared a public holiday in conjunction with Malaysia Day celebrations.
He said the additional holiday was meant to honour the spirit of unity that led to the formation of Malaysia, while also encouraging families to return to their hometowns or travel domestically.
The holiday, which falls a day before Malaysia Day on September 16, is expected to create a four-day weekend.
Anwar also announced that the allocation for Jualan Rahmah Madani has been doubled from RM300 million to RM600 million this year.
“This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure affordability and access to basic necessities at the grassroots level,” he said.
He said the additional funds would allow the programme to expand its coverage across all 600 state constituencies, increase frequency, and offer a wider selection of essential goods to the public.
