KOTA KINABALU: June 23, 2026 – More than 1,400 shops in Sabah are now accepting transactions under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme using MyKad, the national identity card, in a move aimed at easing access to essential goods for recipients in rural and remote areas.
Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said over 13,500 shops nationwide were currently registered under the scheme, including more than 6,500 small retailers.
“Not only in big cities, but we are going directly into villages and the interior, because our effort is to ease the burden for those eligible for SARA,” he said.
He was speaking after visiting a SARA programme implementation site in Manggatal, near here, on Tuesday.
More than 150,000 product types are now available under the programme, with the government planning to expand the range of goods and increase the participation of local entrepreneurs.
The initiative also opens up opportunities for local business owners to market their products through the SARA retail network.
“If an item is listed under SARA, it sells in greater volumes and more quickly,” Mr Amir Hamzah said. “That is our aim – not just to provide aid, but also to stimulate local entrepreneurs.”
The government is targeting 10,000 small shops nationwide to join the programme in order to broaden its reach.
To encourage greater take-up among small retailers, authorities are studying ways to reduce participation costs, including by providing more affordable and user-friendly point-of-sale (POS) systems.
