SHAH ALAM – The government has underestimated the "assault" of millions of consumers rushing to redeem the RM100 one-off Sara credit at once.
This chaotic rollout has led to widespread system failures and drawn heavy criticism from consumer associations.
What was intended to be a smooth act of financial aid turned into a "disaster," according to Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam (Cassa) president Datuk Seri Dr Jacob George.
He described the situation as a "stampede" that overwhelmed the system, a predictable outcome that he said could have been avoided with proper planning.
“Had there been proper planning and external consultation, this chaos could have been prevented.
"The system was never stress-tested and we’ve seen this before with 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) and Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawals,” he said when contacted recently.
He also said that the government should have formed a task force comprising grassroots leaders, independent experts and consumer representatives to ensure the system was sturdy and inclusive.
George said such a task force, including not just internal personnel but external stakeholders, could have ensured smoother implementation.
Engaging a wider group, including even those the government may not usually consult, would have helped identify gaps and offered practical advice.
“What the government needs is for the system to work and that starts with inclusive, real-world discussions before any project is launched,” he said.
George also stated that the failure to anticipate user behaviour contributed significantly to the crash.
In many households, several individuals were eligible to claim the RM100 credit and most rushed to outlets to spend it immediately.
According to him, this mass surge was inevitable and should have been foreseen.
“We have a few intelligent people in the system and they have made this major blunder which has brought embarrassment to the Madani government because the entire system has collapsed.
"What was intended to be good has turned out to be a disaster because they have not walked through the whole system and looked for gaps, looked for weaknesses and tested and retested the systems in place. So that was bad,” he said.
He pointed out that Malaysians, particularly those in the target demographic, were unlikely to delay spending once aid was received.
In an average household, six or seven people could receive the RM100 credit and if all rushed to redeem it at once, no system would be able to cope, not even banks.
He said those in the targeted group were the most likely to spend the aid immediately, which contributed to the system's collapse.
During the peak of the technical failures, the public was left shocked, frustrated, and disappointed.
"Outlets were plastered with signs saying they couldn't process redemptions, leaving consumers angry and helpless," he said.
He said that future initiatives must include people from the grassroots, experienced leaders in consumer affairs, and even media representatives to provide broader feedback.
As someone who monitored public policy and crisis response, George questioned how such a major gap was overlooked.
“It is disappointing that such a noble initiative was abused and misused due to poor planning. This entire episode reveals glaring holes that have caused embarrassment to the government,” he said.
He has since called for a formal post-mortem and urged the government to consult independent, qualified experts moving forward.
Echoing the concerns, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) chief executive officer T. Saravanan urged the government to move quickly to stabilise the system.
He called for improved communication with the public on when and how to redeem the credit and suggested exploring alternatives like direct bank transfers for those who couldn’t access the current platform.
“The system must be stabilised immediately, and consumers need clear instructions on redemption. Alternative options such as direct bank transfers must also be explored for those facing difficulties,” he said.
He also spoke of the importance of accountability in the aftermath of the failure.
“Trust can only be restored if safeguards are put in place to protect consumers,” he said.
Consumer groups were now demanding a more inclusive and professional approach to public aid, warning that trust in future government programmes hung in the balance.
Backed by RM2 billion, the programme was expected to benefit 22 million adults and complemented existing Sara and STR aid totalling RM15 billion this year.