The government will begin Phase 4 payments for the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) 2025 on October 18, earlier than planned, to assist Malaysians ahead of the Deepavali celebration.
A total of 8.8 million recipients will receive RM2 billion in aid, with payments of up to RM700 depending on category. This includes 200,000 new applicants whose payments will begin on November 13.
Compared with Phase 1 in January, the number of recipients has increased by 500,000 following the MADANI government’s decision to keep applications and appeals open throughout the year.
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the MADANI government is determined to ensure that national aid benefits all Malaysians.
“The MADANI Government is determined to ensure that assistance, which represents the nation’s shared prosperity, can be enjoyed by all layers of Malaysian society. It is hoped that the distribution of Phase 4 STR 2025 will provide some financial relief ahead of Deepavali,” he said.
Existing recipients’ data will be automatically updated into the government’s database together with information from related agencies to determine eligibility for STR and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) 2026. This aims to reduce exclusion and ensure aid reaches its intended groups.
The Ministry of Finance reminded recipients to remain cautious of fake links and scam attempts, adding that it never requests personal information via SMS or WhatsApp.
Applications for STR and SARA 2026 are open all year, with a total allocation of RM15 billion as announced in the Fourth MADANI Budget on October 10.
Payments will be credited directly to bank accounts between October 18 and 24, while those without bank accounts, including recipients in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, can collect cash at Bank Simpanan Nasional branches starting October 21.
