As Malaysia settles into 2026, attention has once again turned to Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) – the one-off RM100 cash aid for every Malaysian aged 18 and above, regardless of income.

Credited on 9 February, the payment is intended to support household spending ahead of Ramadan and Chinese New Year, a period when grocery costs tend to rise.

The scale of the programme is significant. In 2025 alone, SARA benefited 21.2 million Malaysians, with 96 per cent of recipients using the aid, translating into nearly RM2.1 billion in spending.

For those of us in the FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) ecosystem, these numbers are not just statistics, they reflect how closely household resilience is tied to access, affordability and trust in everyday essentials.

At DKSH Malaysia, where we work behind the scenes to connect brands to consumers nationwide, SARA highlights a recurring challenge in 2026: how do we ensure affordability without compromising quality?

Stretching RM100: “Think utility and nutrition, not just price tags”

With RM100 meant to cover 14 essential categories, from rice and noodles to cooking oil, spreads and seasonings, households are forced to make deliberate choices about what value really means.

In my experience, value is not about chasing the lowest price. It is about utility, nutrition and versatility. Staples such as rice, noodles, sauces, cooking oil and spreads can stretch across multiple meals.

A sauce that works for lunch, dinner and weekend cooking delivers more than a one-off discount.

Spreads, biscuits and breakfast beverages also play a quiet but important role. They offer nourishment, familiarity and comfort, especially for children, without adding complexity to daily routines.

These may seem like modest choices, but for many households, they shape how far RM100 can realistically go.

During previous SARA rollouts, RM50 million was spent within the first 24 hours.

To me, that surge was not just about urgency. It reflected trust, trust that essential products would be available, and trust in the retail and distribution system to deliver when it mattered most.

Urban vs Rural: Same aid, different expectations – but shared value

SARA’s impact varies across communities.

In urban areas, households may stock up, plan purchases or selectively upgrade. In rural settings, the aid often serves as reassurance that basic needs will be met.

What unites both is a sharpened focus on value.

When budgets tighten, consumers gravitate towards brands that are familiar, reliable and proven. In such conditions, consistency becomes just as important as price.

Beyond price: Why quality must never be compromised

As cost pressures persist, there is a risk of equating affordability with compromise. That is a false trade-off.

Affordable products must still meet strict regulatory, halal and quality standards. Safety, nutrition and reliability cannot be negotiable, especially when products are consumed daily by families.

From a distribution perspective, long-term value comes from ensuring that affordable options remain safe, trusted and consistent, not just during aid periods but throughout the year.

Distribution is the real unsung hero: “We go where families live”

Distribution is often overlooked until something goes wrong.

In reality, ensuring everyday availability requires a network that reaches from large retailers such as Mydin, Lotus’s and Econsave to 99 Speedmart and thousands of kedai runcit, including those in semi-urban and rural areas.

Supporting fulfilment across 7,300 selected stores and supermarkets nationwide is not just about logistics, it is about equity. Access matters just as much as affordability, particularly during festive periods and aid disbursements when demand spikes sharply.

Local brands, local needs: The role of EVA & Buttercup

Local brands play an important role in delivering both affordability and relevance. DKSH’s own products, like EVA and Buttercup, show how local manufacturing meets Malaysian consumption patterns.

Products developed with Malaysian households in mind tend to reflect real consumption habits – from halal assurance to pack sizes that suit daily use.

Smaller tubs, versatile formats and practical pricing are not marketing gimmicks; they are responses to how families actually live.

Local manufacturing also strengthens supply resilience, helping to keep essential products within reach even during periods of volatility.

What SARA teaches the industry: Consistency, not just crisis response

For us at DKSH Malaysia, the lesson from SARA is not about short-term sales uplift.

It is about consistency.

When households see trusted products remain accessible and fairly priced, not just during aid cycles, confidence builds.

Over time, that confidence becomes loyalty. And loyalty is sustained not by promotions alone, but by reliability, transparency and fairness.

Looking ahead: How the FMCG sector must evolve

As price sensitivity becomes a defining feature of 2026, the FMCG industry must

respond with empathy and pragmatism. This means:

● Offering smaller pack sizes and value bundles to suit different household needs

● Investing in smarter logistics, automation and data-driven forecasting to manage costs without disrupting supply

● Prioritising locally relevant products that reflect cultural habits and everyday routines

Affordable quality is not a temporary concern, it is the new baseline.

When products remain relevant, reliable and within reach, we do more than serve consumers.

We help sustain households and communities.

As another SARA cycle unfolds, that responsibility has never been clearer.

-- BERNAMA

Daniel Schwalb is Vice President, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, DKSH Malaysia.