By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 17: The government has announced that Phase 4 payments under the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) 2025 programme will be made earlier than scheduled, beginning Oct 18, to ease financial burdens ahead of the Deepavali celebration.
In a statement today, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said a total of 8.8 million recipients will benefit from the payment involving an allocation of RM2 billion, with assistance of up to RM700 depending on category.
Originally scheduled for mid-November, the payout has been brought forward as part of the Madani government’s commitment to ensure aid reaches all layers of society, said Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“The government’s determination is to ensure that the nation’s shared prosperity benefits everyone. We hope the disbursement of STR Phase 4 will provide some financial relief ahead of the Deepavali celebration,” he said.
The latest round of assistance includes 200,000 new applicants approved for Phase 4, whose payments will start from Nov 13.
Compared with Phase 1 in January, the number of recipients has increased by 500,000 individuals and households, following the government’s decision to allow new applications and appeals throughout the year.
For existing recipients, payments will be credited directly into their bank accounts between Oct 18 and 24, while those without accounts—including in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan—can collect their cash payments at Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) branches starting Oct 21.
Under Phase 4, recipients will receive payments according to category as follows:
• Households earning RM2,500 and below: RM200–RM700
• Households earning RM2,501–RM5,000: RM100–RM350
• Senior citizens (single): RM150
• Single individuals: RM150
The government also announced that registration for STR and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) 2026 will remain open throughout the year, enabling more Malaysians to apply for financial aid.
As announced in the Madani Budget 2026 on Oct 10, the combined allocation for STR and SARA next year amounts to RM15 billion.
MOF assured that existing recipient data will be automatically transferred into the government database and cross-checked with information from various agencies—including eKasih, JKM, JAKOA, PERKESO, and zakat or baitulmal records—to ensure that aid continues to reach eligible groups and minimise exclusion.
Recipients are reminded to only refer to the official STR portal at https://bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my for updates and to beware of fraudulent links or messages.
MOF stressed that it does not request personal information via SMS or WhatsApp. – DayakDaily
