KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 31 -- The Ministry of Finance and MyKasih have apologised to recipients of the Rahmah Basic Contribution Award (Sara) after a surge in transactions on the first day of disbursement caused delays in processing purchases.

In a joint statement today, both parties said the high volume of activity had strained the system.

"Following the exceptionally high number of transactions on the first day of Sara disbursements, MyKasih terminals experienced processing delays due to the surge in purchase volumes," the statement read.

While purchases can still be made, "some retail premises may face difficulties processing transactions due to the high system demand," it added.

The ministry and MyKasih assured recipients the issue is ...