He said some 65% of the 50,000 eligible recipients in Labuan have also redeemed the aid.

Amir also dismissed claims that senior citizens and rural residents had found it difficult to use their MyKad to access the aid, saying the initiative had benefitted B40 households, especially those in the rural and interior areas.

“This has been proven by the fact that redemption rates in states like Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak are among the highest nationwide,” he told reporters after visiting the SARA participating retailers of Layangan Shopper PLT near here today.

The one-off RM100 aid is credited into the MyKad of every Malaysian aged 18 and above, and may be redeemed between Aug 31 and Dec 31.

Amir said the scheme had also benefitted micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, which had enjoyed stronger sales due to the increased purchasing power of SARA recipients.

“The number of retail outlets participating in SARA has also grown from 7,300 at the beginning of the year to more than 8,100 nationwide,” he said.

Recipients of the RM100 aid are allowed to buy a wide range of essential goods, including staple foods, cooking necessities, canned goods and instant noodles, personal hygiene products, household cleaning supplies, certain kinds of medicine and school supplies.

“These categories ensure that families not only meet their daily nutritional needs, but also access household essentials at affordable prices,” Amir said.