KUALA LUMPUR: Around 8.5 million Malaysians will receive cash aid of between RM50 and RM650 from Aug 29 under Phase 3 of the Rahmah Cash Aid (STR) initiative, the Finance Ministry said today.
In a statement, the ministry said existing recipients will receive the cash aid on that date, while new recipients will receive the cash aid from Sept 18.
It was previously reported that the government allocated RM10 billion for this year's STR, a 25 per cent increase from the previous year's allocation.
The STR benefits nearly 60 per cent of the country's adult population.
Then, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the additional allocation for the SRT reflected the Madani government's commitment to helping the people cope with rising costs of living, particularly those in the bottom and middle 40 (B40 and M40) categories.
Since 2024, the government has kept registrations for STR open throughout the year so that more can benefit from the initiative.
This is why the number of recipients is expected to increase this year compared to previous years.
Those whose names are not in the STR database are encouraged to make an application, while recipients who qualify will have the money credited into their bank account.
Alternatively, they can also the aid via cash payments in stages from Bank Simpanan Nasional.
The ministry advised STR recipients to be cautious of unknown links from irresponsible parties seeking personal information related to the STR.
"The Finance Ministry does not send any SMS or WhatsApp messages seeking personal information from any person."
For more information on STR, visit bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my or call 03-88822 4565/4566.