Payment for Phase 1 of STR begins on Monday, to benefit 8.2 million recipients

Ministry of Finance (MOF), in a statement today, said that recipients who have registered on STR's database will receive their payment either through their bank accounts or by cash at Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) branches in stages, with the amounts varying based on the recipients' eligible categories.

MOF said the government has raised the maximum payment for Phase 1 of the STR to RM500 for households from RM300 the year before, to assist the rakyat with the rise in living costs.

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.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said every time he meets the rakyat, the discussion will invariably turn to the living costs outpacing income growth.

"I understand the struggle that the people have to go through, and therefore, the government is making all efforts to ensure that the provided assistance will be substantially enhanced so that this bread-and-butter issue can be addressed, and no rakyat will be left behind under the MADANI Government's administration.

"In line with the MADANI Economy framework's aim to raise the floor of the rakyat's quality of life, the government will prioritise and ensure that low-income households will continue to receive the necessary assistance," Anwar who is also Minister of Finance was quoted as saying in the statement.

He said the MADANI Government is sensitive to the people's concerns and will continue to enhance the STR in its efforts to help the rakyat manage the rising cost of living.

The statement also said that, to date, up to 8.2 million eligible individuals have registered for STR 2024, and this amount is expected to rise to nearly nine million this year, given that new applications and updates are open throughout the year, as compared with a fixed period previously.

MOF also advised the public to check their eligibility status for the STR programme and the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) at the STR official portal at https://bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my or https://manfaat.mof.gov.my/.

"If an applicant's name is not available on STR's database, he or she must apply in order to complete a verification process based on the eligible STR category.

"The public is also advised to be wary of unverified links from irresponsible parties when looking for information on the STR programme," it said.

-- BERNAMA