SARA Appreciation Aid On MyKad Praised For Convenience And Safety

KUCHING, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- The implementation of the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) Appreciation Aid, a one-off RM100 credit on MyKad, has made it easier and safer for the public to purchase daily necessities.

Sharifah Hafizah Wan Adeni, a 39-year-old Student Management Assistant, said the government's initiative is convenient and secure, as it helps avoid the risk of losing cash, especially for senior citizens.

She suggested that more retailers should accept this method and that payment terminals be consistently maintained to ensure they are in good working order.

“There should be more shops accepting this transaction, and all store counters must be fully operational for payments using MyKad,” she told Bernama.

The appreciation aid, which was credited to the MyKad of all citizens aged 18 and above starting Aug 31, is available until Dec 31 at over 4,100 retail grocery stores and supermarkets nationwide.

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 in local areas.

"I will use it to buy monthly essentials like soap and detergent, so my leftover salary can be saved 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.

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.

As a recipient of MyKasih aid, he believes that using the MyKad for verification is a good step, but hopes the technical issues can be resolved.

"Some recipients faced problems during redemption because the chip in their identification card could not be read by the payment device," he said.

Meanwhile, James's wife, Losna Taham, plans to redeem her appreciation aid later this month to better organise 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. So, this is very helpful for my family. It may seem small, but it makes a big difference,” she said.

-- BERNAMA