September 1, 2025
PETALING JAYA – Some saw it as a shopping spree, others as a chance to give back, but starting at midnight yesterday, Malaysians were already heading to stores to redeem the government’s one-off RM100 Sara aid provided to 22 million citizens.
Checks at stores in the Klang Valley involved in the Sara initiative found that these outlets were packed with customers, with long queues at checkout.
Those offering 24-hour services began seeing customers wanting to redeem the one-off aid from midnight.
The system also faced a glitch and went offline temporarily due to the overwhelming traffic, prompting some shoppers to pay for their goods out of pocket.
It was learned that the glitch had occurred at around 11am yesterday.
Apologising for the glitch, the Finance Ministry and MyKasih Foundation said the issue was due to the exceptionally high volume of transactions on the first day of disbursement, which caused the MyKasih terminal system to experience delays in processing transactions.
“Please be informed that purchases can still be made, but some retail outlets may face difficulties or delays in processing transactions due to the heavy system load,” they said, adding that the MyKasih technical team was working diligently to resolve the issue and that the system would resume normal operations soon.
“We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused and appreciate the patience and understanding of all parties.”
A photo of long queues at the checkout of 24-hour grocery store ST Rosyam Mart showed that many had started redeeming their Sara aid.
Long queues were also seen at Mydin Hypermarket outlets.
When contacted, Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, managing director of Mydin Hypermarket, said outlets have been “packed” and many customers were coming in with questions.
“We have set up a customer service counter at the entrance to answer queries regarding Sara,” he said.
According to Ameer Ali, the service counter has been assisting with customers’ eligibility and if the RM100 aid is available.
“Aid recipients also want to know what items they can purchase with their RM100 and if they could pay the excess with cash or a credit card.
“We have earmarked 80% of the counters for Sara customers and 20% for regular customers to buy other things.
“Initially, in the morning, there was a small glitch, which could be because a lot of people were trying to access the Sara system. It was off and on earlier in the morning. There was a slight lag, but I am told now it is back to normal.
“This is expected when something new is introduced with everybody trying to log into the system at the same time, but so far it seems to be quite okay,” he said.
Ameer Ali also said that Mydin outlets will be offering Kotak Sara Rahmah for those who want to give to charity.
“There were a lot of queries on the Mydin initiative, which is Kotak Rahmah Sara. This is for those who received the RM100 but do not really need the money and feel like contributing the money to those in need,” he said.
The buy-and-donate campaign, which will feature pre-packed boxes of essentials, is aimed at assisting 200,000 underprivileged families nationwide.
Mydin is collaborating with the Welfare Department to ensure aid reaches the intended recipients.
Housewife Nuriana Ali, 50, from Kuala Lumpur, said she visited the shop at 10am yesterday.
“There was already a long queue. I was able to purchase rice, detergent, instant noodles and other grocery items, including some school supplies for the children.
“At least I was able to save RM200 from my budget this month as I redeemed mine and another one of my family members’ RM100,” she said.
Lai, 42, said she and her mother would use the money to buy groceries, adding that this is in addition to the RM100 monthly aid her mother receives, which she uses to purchase essentials such as rice, oil, biscuits and dry food.
“It is good that at least the M40 is also getting something,” she said.
Elisha Nathan, 34, said she is going to donate the RM100.
“Honestly, I am grateful for the money, but someone else out there may need it more than I do.
“So I’ll just pass it on. Or if there’s a donation box within the stores, I’d probably leave the items for those who need it the most,” she said.
Another shopper, who only wanted to be known as Damien, said he went to a 24-hour convenience store at 12.30am to redeem his RM100.
“I thought going there at midnight would mean there were fewer people, but there were quite a number of people at that time. Some even waited for the clock to hit midnight,” said the 25-year-old.
Meanwhile, a shopper who only wanted to be known as Ahmad said he was one of those who were affected by the glitch.
“Because the system was not working, I had to pay RM100 out of my pocket,” said the odd-job worker.