KUALA LUMPUR – Mydin’s managing director, Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, has dismissed claims by Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong that the hypermarket chain has been the biggest beneficiary of the government’s Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme.
Ameer’s response, posted as a light-hearted video on TikTok, was in line with Mydin’s usual social media tone, where he firmly defended the chain’s involvement in the initiative.
In the video, Ameer labelled Khoo’s remarks as “malicious” and dismissed the suggestion that Mydin had benefited disproportionately from the programme.
“Who are you to say these things? Calm down,” Ameer said, adding, “If you want to say that Mydin has profited, well, that’s a bad assumption. If it’s not Mydin, then it’s okay to help small traders.”
Sara is a government cash aid programme aimed at easing the financial burden of low-income Malaysians.
It provides financial assistance to eligible households, including those in the B40 group (the bottom 40% income households), senior citizens, and single individuals. The aid is credited directly to recipients’ MyKad (national identity card) and can be used to purchase essential items at over 10,000 participating outlets nationwide, including groceries and household goods.
Khoo had previously raised the issue in Parliament, claiming that Malaysians receiving RM100 from the Sara programme may end up spending more than the value of the aid at Mydin, thus benefitting the hypermarket chain. He also jokingly pointed out that Ameer had been “dancing here and there” in celebration of the success.
However, Ameer defended the broader impact of the Sara programme, emphasising that he had always been a vocal advocate for supporting small traders.
He even acknowledged that Mydin might not benefit in the future if large hypermarkets were excluded from the scheme. He also reiterated that the programme’s goal was to ensure widespread participation from all retailers.
A number of netizens came to Mydin’s defence in the comments, highlighting that other businesses, such as 99 Speedmart and Econsave, also stand to benefit significantly from the programme.
One commenter, most1ted88, posted: “Kota Melaka ni… 99 Speedmart tu paling banyak orang tebus SARA… lepas tu Econsave… tak nak bising plak” (translated: “Kota Melaka… 99 Speedmart is where most people redeem their SARA… then Econsave… no one complains about that”).
Another Instagram user, syedluqman_carrental, asked, “Why didn’t he mention Speedmart?? Speedmart has benefited a lot from SARA.”
A third user, shemadd71, pointed out, “Why only focus on Mydin? Why didn’t YB mention 99 Speedmart or KKMart, which are owned by Chinese traders? Why should there be sarcasm here, YB? Are you truly Malaysian or not?”
Despite the playful tone of his video, Ameer expressed his gratitude to the government for the positive impact SARA has had on both consumers and traders.
“Thank you for helping the people. Through the Sara programme, traders also benefit,” he concluded. – January 23, 2026