The one-off payment, which will be channelled through MyKads, is in conjunction with the National Day celebration, he said.
In a special televised announcement, Anwar said the aid could be used between Aug 31 and Dec 31, to purchase basic necessities from over 4,100 outlets including hypermarkets such as Mydin, Lotus, Econsave, and 99 Speedmart.
“This aid is given to every individual and not per household.
“This means that a family comprising a husband, wife and two children who are 18 and above will receive a total of RM400.
“This is the first time in history that cash aid is being channelled to all adult Malaysians,” he said.
Anwar said the government had set aside RM2 billion for this initiative, which is expected to benefit some 22 million citizens.
He said the one-off payment meant that the funds for SARA and Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah, another cash aid initiative, had increased to RM15 billion from the initial allocation of RM13 billion.
He also said that the one-off payment initiative was one of several programmes aimed at reducing the cost of living in view of the increasing food prices, which remain above the average inflation rate of 1.1%.
He said the government planned to redistribute any unclaimed funds to programmes in aid of vulnerable groups next year.
Rahmah Sales allocation doubled
Anwar also announced that the allocation for the 2025 Rahmah Sales programme would be doubled from RM300 million to RM600 million.
He said the additional funds were meant to increase the frequency and number of sales locations nationwide, covering all 600 state constituencies.
“It will also allow for a wider variety of essential goods to offer more choices for the public,” he said.
Sept 15 an additional public holiday
The prime minister also said that Sept 15 would be declared an additional public holiday in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration this year.
He said the public holiday was a gesture of appreciation for the unity and uniqueness of Malaysia’s formation.
“It is also intended to encourage people to strengthen family ties in their hometowns or enjoy domestic travel,” he said.