KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 29): Main Market-bound Big Caring Group Bhd supports calls to allow Malaysians to use their government issued cashless aid credits in retail pharmacies.
“Yeah, we would participate, and if you ask me, it is actually a good thing,” said Big Caring managing director and CEO Lee Meng Chuan.
He was responding to queries from The Edge after the company's IPO prospectus launching ceremony on Thursday.
The scheme, called Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara), is designed to help lower-income individuals and households manage the cost of living.
The aid credits are disbursed through the MyKad identity card, allowing people to buy 15 categories of essential items at 13,500 outlets nationwide.
Items eligible for redemption include non-perishable food, hygiene and cleaning products, and school supplies.
Currently, the credits can be redeemed only at certain supermarkets and grocery stores, and there are calls to include pharmacies as partner merchants.
The idea was mooted by the Malaysian Pharmacists Society and the Malaysia Retail Chain Association.
According to a Ipsos survey cited by the MPS, 92% of cashless aid users want qualified community pharmacies included in the government aid network.
Lee said that some common health conditions required controlled medications that can dispensed only by a licensed pharmacist.
“But if let's say you have a fever, cough, cold, or flu, some of the OTCs can't help,” Lee said.
Lee said he would welcome any expansion of Sara coverage, adding that it could alleviate pressure from the government or hospitals.
Under Budget 2027, the government has increased the allocation for aid handouts to RM16 billion, up from RM15 billion in 2026. The allocation is for the more substantial Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) aid handout low-income individuals and families as well as the Sara scheme which is for all Malaysians aged 18 and above, regardless of income level.
Those who do not receive STR will receive a total of RM200 in two equal disbursements, which are expected to be before Aidilfitri and Merdeka's 70th anniversary.