SARA Aid Valid Till Dec 31, No Need To Rush - Teo

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 (Bernama) -- The public has until Dec 31 to use the RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) one-off aid given out by the MADANI Government.

As such, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said there is no need to rush to use the aid and cause long queues at payment counters.

"To avoid long queues, you can go to any of the selected grocery stores nearby or shop periodically. Don't worry as you have four months to use this financial assistance,” she told reporters after visiting a grocery store participating in the MyKasih programme here today.

Teo also advised the public not to worry about system disruptions when using the MyKad when redeeming the aid as the MyKasih system is now more stable, with a 60 per cent increase in capacity.

She said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has taken swift action following several complaints of system disruptions it received on the first and second days after the RM100 aid was credited to their MyKad starting Aug 31.

"I feel that the system crashed on the first and second day because too many people tried to redeem the assistance at the same time. Now they need not worry about making purchases using SARA,” she said. 

Meanwhile, 50-year-old kindergarten teacher Amutha Keevachee expressed her relief at the smooth process of redeeming the aid.

"I can save my money and use the RM100 to purchase essential items. The payment process is also quick and easy. They just ask for my identity card for scanning and making payment,” she said.

Forty-two-year-old Lee Kah Wee also expressed his satisfaction with the smooth running of the SARA payment system today. 

"Some people said that if we use our old identity card, we wouldn't be able to make the payment. But I am satisfied with the system today. Although I’m using an old identity card without the Touch ‘n Go logo, my payment still went through on the second attempt,” he said.

-- BERNAMA