“Take-up has been very good,” he told reporters at a Kampung Angkat Madani event in Pulau Betong here today.

The one‑off SARA cash aid for all eligible adult Malaysians was credited from Feb 9. It is part of the government’s initiative to support citizens ahead of the Chinese New Year and Ramadan.

Amir said the aid is meant to ensure everyone receives support, though some may not use it if they are financially self-sufficient.

He added that any unspent funds would be redirected to those in greater need.

“If there’s a balance, we return it to the people,” he said, citing that RM150 million in unutilised SARA funds last year was reallocated to targeted assistance, including support for people with disabilities and medical devices for those with long-term illnesses.

Separately, Amir urged more companies to follow the lead of government-linked companies, namely EPF, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Permodalan Nasional Bhd, the Retirement Fund Incorporated, the Armed Forces Fund Board and Lembaga Tabung Haji, which have adopted a living wage policy.

The benchmark living wage has been set at about RM3,100 monthly, which is higher than the RM1,700 monthly minimum wage announced in Budget 2025 and implemented in February 2025.

“We hope that with the signal the government is sending, other firms and the entire private sector will be encouraged to follow,” Amir said.

On consumer prices, Amir said a stronger ringgit should help lower import costs, but the key is how those savings are passed on.

“The issue now is to ensure importers pass the lower costs to the public,” he said, adding that the finance ministry is monitoring the situation with the domestic trade and cost of living ministry.

He noted that not all prices will fall immediately, as some costs have risen in previous years. “Not everything will go down,” he said.