PETALING JAYA: Although they are grateful for the cash, families who have received the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) financial aid programme feel that the government must do more to bring the prices of goods and services down.

This enables families to make greater use of their aid, which, depending on their size and income, can reach up to RM3,700 annually.

While recipients are trying their best to stretch their financial aid to cover their household expenses, many observed that it is a major feat as items continue to cost more.

STR recipients Siti Nur Izzati Anuar, 31, has been receiving the financial aid in stages for her family of three.

“The financial aid allows me to purchase better quality food for my daughter, who needs proper sustenance. So far, we have received between RM150 and RM200 for the first and second phases, respectively.

“It is not much, but at least it helps us to get things that are now getting expensive,” the mother of one said when met in Setia Alam, Selangor.

The housewife hoped that the government would look into the rising costs of essential items such as cooking oil so that STR recipients would be able to buy more with the aid.

Individuals eligible for STR include those from households with a monthly income below RM5,000, elderly individuals without spouses aged 60 and above with income below RM5,000, single individuals aged between 21 and 59, and those with special needs aged 19 to 59.

In Penang, forklift driver P. Karunakaran, 59, said the prices of some goods has made it hard for him to raise his children.

“The government can focus on stabilising the prices of goods, not just essential goods but also the things we need to buy for our children,” he said.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/18/grateful-for-aid-but-prices-should-be-controlled