Malaysia Begins RM1.1 Billion STR Payout for 5.4 Million Recipients Ahead of Deepavali

Cash payments begin on November 4

Malaysia is distributing RM1.1 billion to 5.4 million recipients under the fourth phase of Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR), with payments for existing beneficiaries scheduled from November 4 to 6, 2026. Newly approved applicants and people whose appeals were successful will begin receiving their payments on November 16.

The Finance Ministry said the latest round covers four million households earning RM5,000 or less a month and 1.4 million senior citizens without a spouse. Eligible households will receive up to RM500, depending on their category, while eligible senior citizens without a spouse will receive RM150.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also finance minister, announced the payment during a November 4 visit to the Deepavali Mega Bazaar 2026 in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. He said the assistance was intended to ease household expenses ahead of Deepavali and help recipients meet everyday needs and expenses towards the end of the year.

Anwar described the timing and scale of the payment during his speech at the bazaar:

Therefore, in conjunction with Deepavali, I am announcing that from today until November 6, a total of RM1.1 billion in STR aid will be distributed to more than five million people,

Who receives the money, and how much?

The four million household recipients make up about 74% of the 5.4 million beneficiaries in this phase. Senior citizens without spouses account for the remaining 26%, or 1.4 million recipients. The two categories together account for the ministry's full recipient total.

RM500 is the maximum household payment for this round. The amount each household receives depends on its eligibility category. The ministry specified a payment of RM150 for eligible senior citizens without a spouse.

STR is cash assistance: recipients receive money through a bank account or collect it in cash. For a household managing food, transport, utilities and festival expenses, the payment adds money to its budget during a period when several demands may fall close together.

Two payment dates matter for recipients

Existing recipients and newly approved applicants have different payment schedules. The ministry said existing beneficiaries would be paid in stages over three days, while the next group would begin receiving payments later in November.

• October 9, 2026: Anwar announced in the 2027 Budget that combined STR and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah allocations would rise to RM16 billion the following year.
• November 4, 2026: The fourth phase of STR payments began, alongside Anwar's announcement in Brickfields.
• November 4 to 6, 2026: Payments are scheduled for existing STR recipients.
• November 16, 2026: Payments begin for newly approved applicants and successful appeal cases.

Recipients with bank accounts will receive their money through direct credit into their respective accounts. Those without bank accounts can collect their payments in cash at Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) branches.

The staged schedule means existing recipients may receive their money on different days within the November 4 to 6 period. For new recipients and successful appellants, November 16 is the starting date; the ministry did not give an end date for that group's payments.

Deepavali announcement, assistance across communities

More than 630,000 members of the Indian community receive STR nationwide, according to Anwar. He put their share at 7.4% of the programme's national recipient total and said they were among those benefiting from government assistance ahead of Deepavali.

The 7.4% figure refers to STR recipients nationwide, while the ministry's 5.4 million figure describes the beneficiaries of this fourth payment phase. The figures therefore use different recipient totals.

Anwar said eligibility extends across ethnic and religious communities and to people living in cities and villages. He described STR and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) as ways to distribute part of national revenue to people who need support.

Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Federal Territories Hannah Yeoh, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan and Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo accompanied Anwar at the Brickfields visit.

1.68 million recipients asked to update their details

The Finance Ministry said 1.68 million STR recipients had not updated their application information for three consecutive years. They have been reminded by SMS to update their details so their eligibility can be reassessed for 2027.

Recipients affected by the reminder are advised to make the update through the official STR portal, bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my. The ministry said current information is needed to ensure payments continue to reach people who qualify.

An eligibility review checks whether an applicant meets the programme's requirements using their latest information. For recipients who have left their records unchanged for three years, updating those records is the step the ministry has requested ahead of the 2027 assessment.

The ministry did not specify an update deadline in its announcement. Recipients can use the STR portal for status checks, further information and frequently asked questions about the programme.

Scam warning accompanies payment rollout

The Finance Ministry also warned recipients about fraudulent links and attempts to obtain money or information through scams. It urged the public to rely on official government channels for payment information and updates.

The warning comes as recipients are checking payment dates and some are receiving genuine SMS reminders to update their records. The ministry directed applicants to the STR portal for application information and to sara.gov.my for SARA details.

Recipients can reach those services by entering the government addresses directly into their browser. This provides a practical way to check information without following an unexpected link in a message.

How the aid budget has grown

Combined allocations for STR and SARA total RM15 billion in 2026 and are set to rise to RM16 billion under the 2027 Budget. The increase is RM1 billion, or about 6.7%, calculated from the two annual allocations.

Anwar compared the expanding assistance budget with RM6 billion under Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) in 2018 and RM8 billion under Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) in 2022. On those figures, the planned RM16 billion allocation for STR and SARA in 2027 is twice the RM8 billion allocated under BKM in 2022.

The Finance Ministry also described the RM15 billion allocation for 2026 as nearly three times the BR1M payments made in 2016. That comparison uses a different BR1M year from the 2018 figure cited by Anwar.

STR and SARA disbursements had reached RM12 billion by the time of the announcement, while STR payments across phases one to three totalled RM3.6 billion. The new RM1.1 billion fourth phase brings the combined value of the four announced STR payment rounds to RM4.7 billion.

Anwar said up to nine million STR recipients would be eligible for monthly SARA assistance of up to RM150 under the coming arrangements. At that maximum monthly rate, assistance over 12 months would amount to RM1,800 per recipient.

Skills and business funding for the Indian community

Anwar used the Brickfields visit to describe other support for the Indian community, saying assistance extended beyond the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra). Mitra's annual allocation has risen from RM100 million to RM150 million, an increase of RM50 million, or 50%.

The additional funding gives priority to skills training and employment opportunities for Indian youths. Anwar identified industrial automation, technology and aircraft maintenance as areas of focus, connecting the allocation to training for specific types of work.

Financing for Indian entrepreneurs totals RM150 million. Of that amount, RM100 million is provided through Tekun Nasional's Indian Community Entrepreneur Development Scheme (SPUMI), while RM50 million is available through Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) microfinancing for Indian women entrepreneurs.

These measures address different needs from STR. The cash payment supports household spending, while training programmes focus on skills and employment, and business financing provides access to funds for entrepreneurs.

School repairs and places of worship also receive funding

The government allocated an additional RM50 million for maintenance and repairs at Tamil national type primary schools, known as SJKTs. Anwar said the school measures include a complete replacement for SJKT Ladang Pamol in Kluang, Johor, and six new SJKT projects.

The projects include schools in Sungai Bakap, Penang, and Klebang, Perak. Some are nearing completion, according to the announcement. The funding covers physical school needs alongside the separate allocations for household assistance, training and entrepreneurship.

Anwar also said an additional RM80 million had been approved in 2026 for temples and houses of worship. Together, the announcements set out several channels of support discussed during the Deepavali visit, with STR providing the immediate cash payment to eligible recipients.

Key Points

• STR Phase 4 distributes RM1.1 billion to 5.4 million recipients.
• Existing recipients are scheduled to receive payments from November 4 to 6, 2026. Payments for new recipients and successful appellants begin November 16.
• Eligible households receive up to RM500, while eligible senior citizens without a spouse receive RM150.
• Payments go directly into bank accounts, with cash collection at BSN branches for recipients without accounts.
• The Finance Ministry has asked 1.68 million recipients to update records unchanged for three years ahead of the 2027 eligibility review.
• Combined STR and SARA allocations rise from RM15 billion in 2026 to RM16 billion in 2027.
• Recipients are urged to use official government portals and beware of fraudulent links.