Help for families in need in Penang: state, federal and zakat aid

The short version

Penang's state government pays a yearly cash contribution, i-Sejahtera, to older people, persons with disabilities (OKU), single mothers, housewives and newborns, and you apply online at isejahtera.penang.gov.my. Federal welfare aid from the Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM, the Social Welfare Department) is means-tested, and you apply at your district welfare office or online.

• i-Sejahtera (state): RM100 to RM200 a year, depending on the programme. Most programmes require you to be a Malaysian citizen and a registered voter in Penang. Unit KEMARA: 04-650 5699.
• JKM (federal): apply at the JKM office for your district (list below), or online.
• eKasih: the national poverty register that many agencies use to find households. Register at the District Office.
• Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR): federal cash aid. STR 2027 applications are open all year, from 15 October 2026.
• Zakat aid: Zakat MAINPP, 04-549 8088.
• If a child or adult is being abused or neglected: Talian Kasih, 15999, 24 hours. For emergencies, see Who to call.

Which help is which

MyGovernment's aid page says each aid agency decides approval and how long aid lasts, and gives no decision time. Zakat MAINPP's conditions page gives none either.

i-Sejahtera: the state's yearly payments

i-Sejahtera is the Penang state government's once-a-year cash contribution. The main rule is that you must be a Malaysian citizen and a registered voter in Penang; the OKU programme asks instead that you live in Penang. You may apply for only one programme, except Anak Emas.

Death benefit: if a recipient of the Warga Emas, Ibu Tunggal or OKU programme dies, their heir may claim RM1,000 (khairat kematian) within one year of the death.

How to apply:

1. On the i-Sejahtera portal, check your IC number, then register an ID and password.
2. Fill in the form and upload copies of your documents: your IC, your bank statement showing your name and account number, and your voter registration check (plus, depending on the programme, an heir's IC, a child's birth certificate, a death certificate or divorce papers, or your OKU card).
3. If you cannot upload, take copies to the District Office, your state assemblyman's service centre (Pusat Khidmat KADUN) or, for the OKU programme, the district JKM office.

You register only once. To be paid in the current year, your registration must be complete and approved before 30 June; after that, payment comes the following year. Update your phone, address and bank details on the portal each year.

Contact: Unit Kebajikan Manfaat Rakyat (KEMARA), Level 44, KOMTAR, 10503 Pulau Pinang. Phone 04-650 5699, 5700 or 5701; WhatsApp 011-5363 5699. The portal also has a complaint and enquiry form.

Sources: i-Sejahtera FAQ, i-Sejahtera conditions and i-Sejahtera contacts, read 2026-10-14.

JKM: federal welfare aid

The federal government's MyGovernment portal says there are two ways to apply for JKM aid: in person at a district welfare office (Pejabat Kebajikan Masyarakat Daerah), or online. Every application is investigated and means-tested. Bring copies of:

• your IC;
• the IC of your spouse, parents or children who live with you;
• birth certificates of children or family members who live with you;
• your payslip, if you have one, and other related documents.

JKM district offices in Penang, as listed on the state's i-Sejahtera portal:

Sources: MyGovernment, Kenal Pasti Bantuan yang Sesuai and i-Sejahtera contacts, read 2026-10-14.

eKasih, STR and Ihsan MADANI

eKasih is the national poverty database run by the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister's Department (ICU JPM). Agencies use it to decide who gets their aid. You qualify if your household earns less than the current poverty line income (PGK) and the head of household is a Malaysian citizen. Register at the state ICU JPM office or a District Office, or through local leaders such as the village committee (JPKK) or the residents' council (MPP).

Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) is federal cash aid for low and middle income households, run by LHDN (HASiL). Its portal says STR 2027 applications are open all year, from 15 October 2026.

Ihsan MADANI is a federal portal, run by the national cost of living council (NACCOL), that lists aid initiatives by category, including food, health, education, housing and utilities, with federal and state schemes. Its Semak Bantuan Khusus page lets you search initiatives by category, and the MyGovernment portal says it lets you make a first check of your eligibility for some aid using basic personal details.

Sources: MyGovernment, Kenal Pasti Bantuan yang Sesuai, STR portal and Ihsan MADANI, read 2026-10-14 (STR portal re-read 2026-11-03).

Zakat MAINPP

Zakat MAINPP is the zakat body of the Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Pulau Pinang (Penang Islamic Religious Council). Its general conditions for zakat aid, as it publishes them:

• the applicant is Muslim (beragama Islam);
• a Malaysian citizen or permanent resident;
• has lived in Penang for at least 3 months;
• family income is not enough to meet the had al kifayah, its measure of minimum basic needs;
• receives no other aid, or aid that is still not enough.

Its website lists schemes including living support (Skim Sara Hidup), house building and repair, school and university starts, and business capital.

Contact: 4, Jalan Perda Selatan, Bandar Perda, 14000 Bukit Mertajam. Phone 04-549 8088; email admin@zakat.mainpp.gov.my. Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm. It also has counters in Balik Pulau, Bayan Baru, George Town (34, Lebuh Buckingham), Butterworth, Nibong Tebal, Kepala Batas and Ayer Itam, and a mobile counter whose dates it lists on its contact page.

Sources: Zakat MAINPP, general conditions and Zakat MAINPP, contacts, read 2026-10-14.

If someone is not safe at home

• Talian Kasih connects the public with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) for enquiries, complaints and requests for help about abuse, child neglect, sexual harassment and baby abandonment, and offers counselling and protection help. Toll free 15999, 24 hours, 7 days a week; WhatsApp 019-261 5999.
• WCC Penang lists counselling hotlines: WCC 011-3108 4001, and its Pusat Perkhidmatan Wanita (PPW) 016-439 0698. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Sources: MyGovernment, Talian Kasih 15999 and WCC Penang, read 2026-10-14.

Related

• Food banks and food aid in Penang
• Who to call in Penang
• Scams in Penang