The ministry said recipients registered on the STR database will receive their payments in stages either through their bank accounts or by cash at Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) branches, with the amounts varying based on their eligibility, Bernama reported.

Last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government would not change its position on subsidy rationalisation despite potential price hikes, and would instead offer direct fund injections, such as STR, to those in need.

The ministry said the government raised the maximum payment for phase 1 of STR for households to RM500, from RM300 previously, to help the people who are affected by the rise in the cost of living.

Recipients from the household category with incomes less than RM2,500 will receive RM500, while those with incomes between RM2,501 and RM5,000 will be eligible to receive between RM100 and RM300.

Senior citizens with no spouses and single people will receive RM150 and RM100, respectively.

Meanwhile, Anwar said that every time he meets the people, the discussion invariably turns to the cost of living outpacing income growth.

“I understand the struggle the people have to go through. Therefore, the government is making all efforts to ensure that the provided aid will be substantially enhanced so that this bread-and-butter issue can be addressed.

“The government will prioritise and ensure that low-income households will continue to receive the necessary assistance,” said Anwar, who is also the finance minister.

The ministry also said the number of recipients for STR is expected to increase to nearly nine million this year, given that new applications and updates are made throughout the year.