PAYMENT OF PHASE 2 STR TOMORROW - PM ANWAR

PUTRAJAYA, March 9 (Bernama) -- The payment of Phase Two of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) for 2026 has been brought forward to tomorrow, March 10, to help recipients prepare for Aidilfitri.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the early disbursement involves an allocation of RM1.3 billion and will benefit about five million recipients nationwide.

He noted that the second phase payment was previously scheduled for April 2025 but has been advanced in view of the upcoming festive celebration.

“STR Phase Two will be paid earlier. It was previously scheduled for April, but we have brought it forward as we are preparing to celebrate Aidilfitri, so the payment will be made on March 10,” he said at a gathering with staff of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) today.

Meanwhile, Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said that the payment of the Special Financial Assistance of RM500 to all civil servants in Grade 15 and below, including contract staff, will be made on March 13.

“Government pensioners and veterans, both pensionable and non-pensionable, will also receive RM250 on the same date, with the assistance exempted from income tax,” he said.

Anwar also announced a special RM500 contribution to be disbursed on the same date in appreciation of about 70,000 religious personnel, including teachers under the Kelas al-Quran dan Fardu Ain (KAFA) programme, guru takmir, as well as mosque officials such as imams, bilals, tok siak, noja and marbut, as outlined in Budget 2026.

The public can obtain further information and frequently asked questions about the assistance through the official portal of the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia at https://bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my.

Also present at the event were the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, the Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh, and the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.

The Prime Minister also announced the expansion of the RM400 flight subsidy to ease travel costs for students of public higher education institutions (IPTA) on domestic routes across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak.

“Following continued feedback, the Cabinet meeting on March 4 approved the extension of the FlySiswa subsidy. It will now cover students from Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA), Institut Latihan Jabatan Tenaga Manusia (ILJTM), government-linked universities, state-owned higher education institutions, as well as the Institute of Malaysian Plantation and Commodities (IMPAC),” he said.

“This will involve and is expected to benefit 50,000 students in 2026, up from 44,000 last year,” he added.

-- BERNAMA