ALOR SETAR: The Rahmah Cash Aid (STR), an initiative under the "Payung Rahmah" concept, is seen as able to ease the burden of the less affordable in dealing with the rising cost of living.
Disbursement of the Phase 1 STR to 8.2 million recipients began last Jan 29 with an increase of over 66 per cent from a maximum of RM300 last year to RM500.
A single mother with two children, Nur Razlina Ramli, 43, said she will use the RM500 to pay off her utility bills and buy essential household items for her family.
"The amount is not enough still, but I'm grateful as it can at least help meet the family's needs with the rising prices of food items. This kind of assistance should be continued.
"The government's action (in providing the cash aid) should be praised... at least it can increase the income of single mothers like me," said the woman who earns RM50 a day as a shop assistant in Pekan Rabu.
Nur Razlina told Bernama she would save some money for her children's school needs.
One of her children will be in Form Three and the other in Form Four when school reopens for the new academic year.
The government has increased the STR Phase 1 payment to up to RM500 compared to the maximum payment of RM300 last year to help more people deal with the impact of the rising cost of living.
Recipients from the household category with income less than RM2,500 will receive RM500, while the household category with income between RM2,501 and RM5,000 will be eligible to receive between RM100 and RM300.
Senior citizen recipients with no spouse and single individual will receive RM150 and RM100, respectively.
Beneficiaries from households with an income of RM2,500 and below will receive RM500, households with an income of RM2,501-RM5,000 will receive RM100 to RM300, while senior citizens without a partner and singles will receive RM150 and RM100 respectively.
Another STR recipient, Muhammad Iqbal Saidin, 43, a trader, said the cash aid provided some relief for him as he is the sole breadwinner of his family.
Besides using the money to buy essentials, he said he also keeps some to cover the medical expenses of his mother-in-law, who is a stroke patient.
"We accept this assistance with gratitude. and with the hope that the amount will be increased further to cope with the rising cost of goods.
Another petty trader, Syed Mohd Taufik Syed Khalid, 35, said even though he was a recipient for the single category, he was grateful for the government's concern. — Bernama