PUBLISHED ONJanuary 28, 2026 1:45 PMBYSean LerMalaysians who regularly enter Singapore have been told that their applications for the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) — a direct financial aid initiative to ease cost of living pressures for low-income groups — will be marked as "not qualified".
Under the STR, targeted at low-income groups, eligible Malaysians will receive between RM500 (S$160) and RM2,500 of direct cash assistance per year.
Taking to his Facebook page on Sunday (Jan 25), Malaysian Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong said he had received queries from Johor Bahru residents about the STR eligibility criteria.
He added that those who cross the border eight times or more a month will be assumed to be working overseas, which disqualifies them from the STR.
"STR is a 'we take care of our own' initiative, which is cash aid for those who need it," he said.
"The government has the responsibility to taxpayers to ensure that the money goes to the right people," he added.
The deputy minister explained that the administering agency — the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN) — cross-checks data from multiple agencies, including immigration records, during the verification process.
Only those who meet the eligibility criteria after these checks, including those residing in Malaysia, will receive the aid.
Elaborating on how the system interprets cross-border movements, Liew shared that those who enter Singapore between one and seven times a month are considered "reasonable", because there are those who need to deal with matters such as medical treatment, emergencies, short-term assignments or family matters.
"(Those who make) eight or more crossings per month are considered to have spent significant time abroad," he said.
In such cases, an applicant's STR application will be deemed as "not qualified", Liew said, emphasising that this is not equivalent to being "cancelled". Those affected may choose to file an appeal.
Liew also acknowledged that there are Malaysians who may genuinely need to cross the border frequently, such as lorry drivers.
He assured those affected that the Malaysian Government is always open to feedback and willing to consider appeals. "Those affected by this policy are encouraged to file an appeal," he said.
Some Malaysian social media users, responding to his post, reminded Liew that not all Malaysians working in Singapore are highly paid or rich. They also reminded him that those working in Singapore are still Malaysians who pay their taxes and come home to vote.
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