To help Malaysians cope with rising costs of living and improving standard of living equitably, the government has been distributing cash aid to low- and middle-income households under the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) direct cash aid programme since year 2021.
The STR programme continues to be a lifeline to many and is expected to benefit 8.5 million Malaysians, accounting for 60% of the population in 2025. The government had increased cash allocations and other forms of assistance to RM13 billion in 2025, up from RM10 billion in 2024.
What Is STR And How It Is Distributed?
The STR programme distributes cash aid to low-income households, senior citizens and single adults in four phases throughout the year. On 24 March 2025, the government had disbursed the second phase of STR cash aid to eligible recipients, with an allocation of RM1.7 billion.
The cash contribution amount varies according to the household income and category, as shown in the following table.
Households With A Monthly Income Of < RM2,500
The STR cash aid is available to households with or without children. Households without children earning RM2,500 and below a month receive maximum cash contribution of RM1,000. The cash aid payment is staggered throughout the year in four phases with households having received RM500 in phase 1 and RM150 in phase 2.
Households with more than five children earning the same amount of income receive a higher amount of cash contribution of RM2,500, with the recipients having received RM500 in phase 1 and RM650 in phase 2.
| Number of children | Maximum cash aid (RM) | Phase 1
(RM) |
Phase 2 (RM) | Phase 3 (RM) | Phase 4 (RM) |
| 0 | 1,000 | 500 | 150 | Information will be updated. | |
| 1 – 2 | 1,500 | 500 | 300 | ||
| 3 – 4 | 2,000 | 500 | 500 | ||
| >5 | 2,500 | 500 | 650 | ||
Households With A Monthly Income Of RM2,501 – RM5,000
Eligible households with a higher monthly income of RM2,501 – RM5,000 also receive a maximum cash aid of RM500 – RM1,250.
| Number of children | Maximum cash aid (RM) | Phase 1
(RM) |
Phase 2 (RM) | Phase 3 (RM) | Phase 4 (RM) |
| 0 | 500 | 100 | 100 | Information will be updated. | |
| 1 – 2 | 750 | 150 | 200 | ||
| 3 – 4 | 1,000 | 250 | 250 | ||
| >5 | 1,250 | 300 | 300 | ||
Single Senior Citizens With A Monthly Income Of < RM5,000
Single senior citizens without a spouse who earn a monthly income of below RM5,000 are eligible to receive a maximum cash aid of RM600. They had received RM150 cash aid in phase 1 and 2.
| Maximum cash aid (RM) | Phase 1
(RM) |
Phase 2 (RM) | Phase 3 (RM) | Phase 4 (RM) |
| 600 | 150 | 150 | Information will be updated. | |
Single Individuals With A Monthly Income Of < RM2,500
Single adults with a monthly income of less than RM2,500 are also given cash aid of RM600 in year 2025, up from RM350 in 2024.
| Maximum cash aid (RM) | Phase 1
(RM) |
Phase 2 (RM) | Phase 3 (RM) | Phase 4 (RM) |
| 600 | 150 | 150 | Information will be updated. | |
Source: Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia
Who Is Eligible For STR Cash Aid?
Applicants will need to fulfil income requirements and other criteria to be eligible for STR cash aid.
Applicants need to be Malaysian citizens who reside in the country to be eligible for the cash aid. The following are the requirements for each STR cash aid recipient category:
| Category | Requirements |
| Household |
|
| Senior citizen | Senior citizen without a spouse with an income of <RM5,000 and aged above 60 |
| Single individual | Single individual with an income of <RM2,500 aged between 21 – 59 or 19 – 59 for disabled individuals |
Applying For STR Cash Aid
Application for the STR cash aid is open throughout the year so if you’re eligible, you can still make an application anytime.
If you’re applying under the categories of households or senior citizens, you may need to prepare the following copies of documents:
- Marriage certificate/ Spouse’s death certificate/ Divorce certificate/ Decree Nisi certificate
- Spouse’s identification document
- Children’s identification card and birth/ registration certificate
Then, you can submit your application form and supporting documents online through the STR site.
Otherwise, you can apply in person at the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) office or an Urban Transformation Centre (UTC). You can also send your application by post to the Ministry of Finance.
You can check your application status online or the STR mobile application.
Appeal For Your STR Cash Payments
For those who have not been approved for STR cash aid, you can file an appeal online or submit an appeal form to the IRB office or an UTC.
Depending on the reason of rejection, you may need to submit certain supporting documents listed here or update your information online.
Make sure to get information on STR from verified sources and be mindful of online scams that could impersonate authorities to reach out to you regarding the STR programme.
Read also: 5 Things Malaysians Can Get For Free (And How Much Do They Actually Cost)?
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