You can hear everyone around you talking about the rising cost of living in Malaysia, and groceries have quietly become one of the biggest drains on household budgets. Even if you’re careful by buying house brands, skipping treats, and sticking to the essentials, your monthly grocery bill can easily climb past what it used to be.
That’s why the MyKasih Programme has been making headlines. It’s not new, but it’s become an increasingly important safety net for lower-income Malaysians as prices rise. Unlike cash handouts that can get lost in the shuffle of bills, MyKasih ensures families get real food on their table – cashlessly and with dignity.
If you’ve ever wondered how this system works, who gets it, and why it’s so different from other government aid, here’s everything you need to know about one of Malaysia’s most practical social programmes.
Why Food Aid Needed A Smarter Approach
Before MyKasih, most food assistance came in the form of cash transfers or physical food baskets. While well-intentioned, these methods had flaws. Cash could be spent on non-essential items, while food baskets often didn’t match a family’s actual needs.
Imagine being given rice and cooking oil every month when what you really need is milk powder for your kids or fresh vegetables for the week.
That’s the gap MyKasih set out to close.
Launched by the MyKasih Foundation, a Malaysian non-profit organisation, the programme works hand-in-hand with the government and private sector to deliver cashless food aid through MyKad. Instead of cash, eligible recipients get a monthly allowance credited directly to their MyKad, which they can then use to buy approved food and household items at participating supermarkets and grocery stores.
No paper vouchers. No queues at aid distribution centres. No middlemen. Just a simple, dignified way to shop for what your family really needs.
What Exactly is the MyKasih Programme?
The MyKasih Programme is a cashless welfare aid system that provides targeted food assistance to low-income households across Malaysia. It’s part of a broader ecosystem of welfare initiatives designed to ensure no family goes hungry due to rising costs.
Here’s how it works in a nutshell:
- Eligible families receive a monthly food aid allowance, usually ranging from RM80 to RM120, depending on the funding partner (government, corporate donor, or local agency).
- The allowance is loaded directly into the recipient’s MyKad, which acts as both an ID and a payment card.
- Families can use the MyKad at partner supermarkets (like Mydin, Giant, Econsave, and others) to buy approved essential items – think rice, eggs, bread, vegetables, milk, cooking oil, and baby formula.
- When paying, recipients just swipe their MyKad at the counter. The system automatically deducts the exact amount from their MyKasih balance – no cash needed.
It’s simple, transparent, and most importantly, ensures that the money goes toward food and necessities, not tobacco, alcohol, or non-essential goods.
Why MyKasih Matters More Than Ever
Malaysia’s official inflation numbers may look moderate, but for ordinary households, the pinch is real – especially for the B40 group (bottom 40% income earners). Groceries, cooking oil, and baby products have seen persistent price hikes since 2022.
MyKasih is one of the few programmes that directly tackles food insecurity – not through one-off handouts, but with a sustainable, monthly mechanism that keeps kitchens stocked.
Beyond that, it promotes:
- 🧾 Transparency: Every transaction is digital, reducing fraud and leakages.
- 🛒 Freedom of choice: Families choose what they need most instead of receiving pre-packed goods.
- 🧍 Dignity: Recipients shop like any other customer, reducing social stigma.
- 🤝 Public-private partnership: Funded by both government agencies (like the Ministry of Finance) and corporate CSR programmes.
For families living paycheck to paycheck, it’s not an exaggeration to say MyKasih can be the difference between a full meal and an empty pantry at the end of the month.
Who Qualifies for MyKasih?
The MyKasih programme primarily supports low-income Malaysian citizens identified through government databases like eKasih or Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) registries.
✅ To Qualify, You Must:
- Be a Malaysian citizen with a valid MyKad.
- Belong to the B40 income group (based on official household income thresholds).
- Be selected through MyKasih’s collaboration with local authorities, NGOs, or corporations funding the aid.
Some state governments, like Selangor and Johor, run their own MyKasih-linked initiatives with customised eligibility criteria, but the core model remains the same: targeted, cashless food aid through MyKad.
There’s no open public application process most of the time; recipients are shortlisted via government databases and verified by local community leaders or welfare departments.
How To Check Eligibility
If you think you might qualify, here’s what you can do:
- Visit the official MyKasih Foundation website – https://www.mykasih.com.my
- Look for the latest programme updates or “Our Initiatives” section.
- Contact the nearest District Welfare Office (Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat, JKM) to check if your area is part of an active MyKasih rollout.
- If you’re already a STR or eKasih recipient, keep an eye out for notifications – MyKasih often cross-references these databases when expanding coverage.
For those who want to support, corporations and individuals can also adopt families through the MyKasih Foundation’s donation portal. Each contribution goes directly toward topping up recipients’ monthly food allowance.
Where Can You Use MyKasih?
MyKasih has a growing network of partner stores and supermarkets nationwide. These include:
- Mydin
- Giant
- Econsave
- 99 Speedmart (in selected areas)
- TF Value-Mart
- The Store
- Local mini-markets and co-ops registered under the programme
You can check participating outlets near you through the MyKasih website or hotline. Each store’s point-of-sale (POS) system is integrated with MyKasih’s database, ensuring your MyKad works seamlessly when swiped.
What You Can (and Can’t) Buy with MyKasih
This is where the “cashless” model shines. It ensures the money is spent where it’s meant to.
Allowed items include:
✅ Rice, flour, sugar, salt
✅ Cooking oil, eggs, bread
✅ Vegetables, fruits, fresh meat or fish
✅ Baby milk powder, formula, and diapers
✅ Toiletries and cleaning essentials
Not allowed:
❌ Tobacco or alcohol
❌ Processed or luxury goods (like soft drinks, chocolates, or cosmetics)
❌ Non-food items unrelated to daily household needs
❌ Petrol or fuel
Each item at participating stores is coded, so the POS system automatically restricts non-eligible purchases.
How MyKasih Prevents Misuse
Every transaction made with a MyKasih-linked MyKad is recorded and traceable. The system is connected to the national ID database and monitored centrally, which means:
- Funds can’t be withdrawn as cash.
- You can’t transfer your allowance to someone else.
- You can only spend on approved goods.
This prevents “middleman misuse” that used to plague older welfare schemes. The digital structure also allows the government and donors to measure real impact, tracking how aid translates into nutrition and spending behaviour.
MyKasih for Students and Education
Beyond food, MyKasih also runs education support programmes under its “MyKasih Student Programme”, helping underprivileged children with school meals, stationery, and pocket money.
Funds are similarly channelled through students’ MyKad or student IDs, allowing schools to monitor attendance and nutrition. This ensures children from low-income families stay fed and focused throughout the school year.
How MyKasih ties into BUDI MADANI and other government reforms
You might notice a trend: many Malaysian welfare programmes now come with the “Madani” branding – symbolising inclusivity, dignity, and shared prosperity.
BUDI95 (fuel subsidy), STR (cash assistance), and MyKasih (food aid) all fall under the broader BUDI MADANI vision: moving from blanket subsidies to targeted assistance that supports those who truly need it.
Together, these initiatives help stabilise household spending – keeping essentials like fuel, food, and healthcare affordable for B40 and lower M40 Malaysians.
What This Means For You
If you’re a Malaysian in the B40 group, MyKasih could be a quiet lifeline. Even RM80 a month in guaranteed food credit can ease your financial stress significantly.
If you’re not eligible, there’s still something to learn here. MyKasih is a glimpse into how technology and policy can merge to make social aid more effective. And if you’re a business or individual donor, it’s also one of the most transparent, trackable ways to give back—every ringgit you contribute goes straight into a family’s grocery budget.
For non-Malaysians living in Malaysia, MyKasih shows how digital welfare is evolving here. While it’s not accessible to foreigners, it represents the country’s growing focus on cashless infrastructure—a model that could one day extend to other forms of aid, rebates, or even loyalty perks.
Final thoughts
At first glance, MyKasih might sound like another government welfare scheme. But look closer, and it’s actually a blueprint for the future of social assistance: targeted, cashless, and transparent.
It preserves dignity, empowers choice, and removes the inefficiencies that used to plague food aid systems. Whether you’re a policymaker, a donor, or just someone curious about how Malaysia supports its citizens, MyKasih is proof that smart technology can put real meals on the table.
As living costs continue to rise, programmes like this aren’t just perks, they’re lifelines for families juggling bills, school fees, and groceries. This monthly MyKad credit can mean the comfort of knowing there’ll always be dinner waiting at home.