KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 4): The government will disburse RM1.1 billion in Phase 4 of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) cash aid programme to 5.4 million recipients, with payments to existing beneficiaries starting on Wednesday (Nov 4).

Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said, in a statement released by the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday, the payments would be made in stages from Nov 4 to 6 while newly approved applicants and successful appeal applicants would receive their payments from Nov 16.

Of the total recipients, four million are households earning RM5,000 and below while another 1.4 million are single senior citizens.

Eligible households will receive up to RM500 while single senior citizens will receive RM150.

Anwar said the assistance, distributed through STR and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA), was part of the government's efforts to channel national resources to those in need and ensure a more dignified standard of living for all Malaysians.

He expressed hope that the latest STR disbursement would help ease the financial burden of families celebrating Deepavali, particularly the Indian community, which accounts for more than 630,000 STR recipients.

The assistance is also intended to help other beneficiaries manage their daily needs and year-end expenses, he said.

Recipients with bank accounts will receive the payments directly into their respective accounts while those without bank accounts can collect the assistance in cash at any Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) branch.

Meanwhile, the government has reminded 1.68 million recipients who have not updated their application details for three consecutive years to do so through the official STR portal to allow their eligibility to be reassessed for 2027.

Anwar said the restructuring of government finances and improvements in governance had enabled more national revenue to be channelled towards Malaysians in need.

The total allocation for STR and SARA in 2026 stands at RM15 billion, nearly three times the amount disbursed under the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) programme in 2016.