# Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR): Who's Eligible, and the Real Way to Apply or Check

> STR is a government cash assistance programme under the Ministry of Finance for low- and middle-income households and individuals, administered by the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN/HASiL) through the bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my portal. This article explains the target groups, how to apply for or update a MySTR account, and how to check status — without claiming any specific amount that is not confirmed on official sources.

- Category: money-daily-life
- Language: en
- Status: published
- Updated: 2026-07-24
- Canonical: https://negaraku.md/en/money-daily-life/str-cash-aid

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Many people know the name "STR" from the news, or from a neighbour talking
about a payment landing in their bank account. Fewer know that their old
account may no longer be valid, or that the form they need to fill in isn't
an ordinary tax form — even though it's administered by the very same
agency that handles your income tax.

## What STR Actually Is

Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) is a Federal Government cash assistance
programme targeted at **low- and middle-income groups** who genuinely
qualify for, and need, help facing the cost-of-living squeeze. It is
allocated through the annual Budget and is not a loan or savings scheme —
it is an assistance payment that does not need to be repaid.

It's important to draw a distinction here: STR is not administered by the
Department of Social Welfare or by a bank, but by the **Inland Revenue
Board of Malaysia (LHDNM, commonly abbreviated HASiL)** — the same body
that handles individual income tax — acting on behalf of the **Ministry of
Finance (MOF)**. The STR Secretariat itself is based at the National
Budget Division, Ministry of Finance, Putrajaya, although the day-to-day
operation of applications and payments is carried out through HASiL's
systems.

## Who Is Targeted

The official Manfaat MOF portal broadly outlines the target groups into
three wide categories:

| Category | General description |
| --- | --- |
| Household | Married couples or single parents with dependent children |
| Senior citizen without a spouse | Individuals aged 60 and above without a registered spouse |
| Single | Adults aged 21–59 (or persons with disabilities (OKU) aged 19 and above), who are not full-time students at an Institution of Higher Learning (IPT) |

Each category has its own monthly income limit, set by the Ministry of
Finance for each Budget cycle — this figure can be revised from time to
time, so the most reliable way to find out the current income limit is to
check directly on the Manfaat MOF portal or log in to your own MySTR
account, rather than relying on old figures circulating on social media.

**The actual payment amount for each category is deliberately not stated
here.** The official amount changes with each Budget cycle and depends on
household composition (number of children, senior citizen status, and so
on) — the exact figure for your case will only appear after you log in to
your own MySTR account or check the latest official announcement on the
HASiL portal.

## How to Apply or Update

The STR application period is open **all year round**, starting **13
October 2025** for the current cycle, according to the official portal.
There are two routes:

1. **Online** — register or log in to a **MySTR** account at
   [bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my](https://bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my/). All
   applicants — including previous STR recipients — are required to
   register a new MySTR account to ensure they receive all benefits under
   the current programme.
2. **In writing** — complete Form **BK-01** (application/update) and, if
   necessary, Form **BK-04** (submission of supporting documents), then
   submit them to the nearest HASiL office.

One thing that's easy to overlook: an account that has **not been updated
for three consecutive years** needs to be updated again before it
qualifies for assistance in the current cycle. According to HASiL's
official FAQ, this requirement does not apply to the senior citizen
category and certain rural categories — so don't assume your old account
is automatically invalid without checking first.

## How to Check Status and Payment

Application status, eligibility, and payment schedule are checked by
logging in to your **MySTR** account using your MyKad number and
password, or the email registered on the STR Application Form. For Phase
1 applicants who were rejected, there is a separate appeal period
announced officially on the portal — always refer to the latest date on
the portal rather than dates circulated on third-party sites.

Payment methods, according to the official portal:

- **Direct credit to the bank account** of the applicant or a registered
  spouse.
- **Cash withdrawal** at a **Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN)** branch for
  recipients who do not have their own bank account.

If you have questions that the portal doesn't answer, the official
channels listed are the BKK hotline at **1-800-88-2747** (9.00am –
5.00pm), the MOF line at **03-8882 4565 / 03-8882 4566**, or the email
**str@treasury.gov.my**.

## Common Mistakes

- **Trusting third-party "STR checker" websites for personal data.** Only
  bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my and your own MySTR account display your
  actual application status; unofficial sites can only display general
  information such as phase dates that have already been publicly
  announced.
- **Assuming an old STR account is automatically valid forever.** If it
  is not updated for three consecutive years, eligibility may be affected
  — except for exempted categories.
- **Confusing STR with SARA (Sumbangan Asas Rahmah).** The two are
  separate programmes under the same Budget; SARA provides basic
  assistance on a cashless basis through a MyKad account, while STR is a
  cash/bank-credit payment.
- **Sharing assistance amount figures circulating on social media as
  final fact.** The actual amount differs by category and household
  composition — confirm on the official portal or your own MySTR
  account.

## What's Next

To understand the agency that administers STR, and its broader tax
jurisdiction, see [Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN)](/en/government/lhdn).
If you want to understand how your taxable income is calculated — which
also determines the eligibility threshold for some government
assistance — refer to
[individual income tax](/en/money-daily-life/income-tax-individuals).
And because an STR application requires identity verification, also see
how [MyKad](/en/glossary/mykad) functions as the primary identification
document in matters like this.

## Sources

- SUMBANGAN TUNAI RAHMAH (Portal rasmi STR) — https://bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my/ (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Malaysia (HASiL) / Kementerian Kewangan Malaysia)
- Maklumat Terkini - SUMBANGAN TUNAI RAHMAH — https://bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my/Info/MaklumatTerkini (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Malaysia (HASiL))
- Permohonan STR 2026 — https://bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my/2026/Permohonan (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Malaysia (HASiL))
- Soalan Lazim (FAQ) 2026 - Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah — https://bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my/Info/FAQ (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Malaysia (HASiL))
- Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) 2026 - Portal Manfaat MOF — https://manfaat.mof.gov.my/b2026/individu/str2026 (Kementerian Kewangan Malaysia (MOF))
- Portal Manfaat MOF — https://manfaat.mof.gov.my/ (Kementerian Kewangan Malaysia (MOF))

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