Sara System Breakdown A Simple Apology Cannot Restore Public Trust

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AN MCA leader has criticised the recent breakdown of the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) system which which saw many Malaysians encountering checkout failures and long delays as payment terminals struggled under load.
Its vice president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng said from the glitch, it is clear that the government was wholly unprepared for its administration, and a simple apology cannot resolve the matter, nor can it restore public trust.
“The Ministry of Finance (MOF) and related agencies failed to properly manage the distribution properly, revealing a lack of foresight and planning,” he stated.
“Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying claimed that the system had been affected by ‘overwhelming demand and unforeseen circumstances’. This explanation is far from sufficient for the rakyat who had to deal with the consequences.
“Was the MOF not aware that a RM100 one-off cash aid was being rolled out on Aug 31? How could such a major initiative be handled with so little preparation?”
On Aug 31, the MOF and MyKasih have issued an apology for technical issues that affected some retail outlets when processing transactions for the SARA cash assistance.
In a joint statement, the ministry and MyKasih said their terminal system experienced delays in processing transactions due to a surge in purchase volume.
They said that while purchases could still be made, some retail outlets might have difficulty processing them because of the heavy system demand.
Glitches were reported at several outlets where some shoppers were unable to redeem their RM100 and had to pay out of their own pockets.
According to Wee, the cash aid, involving RM2 bil and more than 20 million recipients aged 18 and above, was always going to be a large and complex undertaking.
“It required careful planning, clear coordination and contingency measures, not a last-minute scramble on the day itself,” he stressed.
“Furthermore, by describing this aid demand as excessive, the government risks shifting blame onto the rakyat rather than acknowledging its own shortcomings.”
Wee said in reality many struggling Malaysians had long awaited this RM100 aid, with some even delaying the purchase of basic goods until the SARA aid became available in the hope of easing their financial burden.
“This could explain the rush to obtain basic necessities and other goods as soon as the aid was released,” he continued.
“The claim of ‘unforeseen circumstances’ also raises serious concerns. If the government cannot anticipate such an obvious public response, how can the people rely on it to manage future challenges?” ‒  Focus Malaysia

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