By WU VUIDE
TUARAN: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the State Government is continuing the Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat (Syukur) Programme this year with an allocation of RM339.16 million as one of the main instruments under the State’s poverty eradication agenda.
He said the assistance scheme has been restructured this year to provide RM200 per month as a complementary aid to Federal Government initiatives, namely the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA), as well as other available financial assistance programmes.
“The restructuring of the Syukur programme has enabled the number of recipients to be expanded from 100,000 last year to 140,000 this year, ensuring that more Sabahans benefit from this government assistance,” he said at the launch of the Syukur Outreach Programme for the Tuaran district at Dewan Sri Sulaman.
According to him, Syukur payments will be made in phases, with each phase disbursed in a lump sum covering a three-month period, totalling RM600, and credited to recipients’ bank accounts, while cash payments will be made to eligible recipients.
In principle, payments under the Syukur programme had commenced on March 11, 2026, for Phase 1 recipients, while Phase 2 online payments began being credited into recipients’ accounts on May 23, 2026.
“I am pleased to announce that the first cash distribution for Syukur Phase 2 will commence from June 18, 2026 (Thursday) until June 23, 2026 (Tuesday) for eligible recipients throughout Sabah, involving a total of 17,848 recipients.
“This payment involves lump-sum assistance of RM600 covering the period from April to June 2026.
“I hope this assistance will be utilised wisely to meet essential family needs, support children’s education and help ease the burden of increasingly challenging daily living expenses,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said outreach programmes such as this are crucial as they provide the government with the opportunity to engage directly with the people, understand the challenges they face, and ensure that all forms of assistance and government initiatives truly reach those in need.
Hajiji launches the Syukur programme.
