eKasih: how to register and check your status, PGK 2024 rules and linked aid

This guide is based on the eKasih FAQ (updated 14 Jan 2026) and the registration pages of the Implementation Coordination Unit, Prime Minister's Department (ICU JPM). We also checked the Ministry of Finance (MOF) Manfaat portal on 24 Oct 2026. It explains who can be registered, how to register, how to read your status and which aid uses eKasih records.

eKasih is a poverty database, not an aid programme

eKasih is the national poverty database run by ICU JPM. According to the eKasih FAQ, ministries and agencies use the data to plan, implement and monitor poverty-eradication programmes.

ICU JPM built the system in-house after a Cabinet decision on 31 Oct 2007, and it has been in full use since June 2008. Each household record covers nine components, including education, employment, assets, health, aid and income.

ICU JPM's statistics report as at 15 Oct 2026 recorded 256,305 heads of household (KIR) classed as poor and no hardcore-poor heads of household. Sabah, Kelantan and Sarawak had the highest numbers. ICU JPM updates these figures regularly, so the totals change every month.

Who can be registered: household income below the PGK

According to ICU JPM, there are three registration conditions:

• the head of household is a Malaysian citizen;
• household income is below the current poverty line income (PGK);
• the applicant's details are complete.

From 2 Jan 2026, eKasih uses the PGK 2024 published by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). This is stated in the RM40 Electricity Bill Rebate FAQ on the PETRA portal (updated 11 Mar 2026). The table below shows the Malaysia averages in the eKasih FAQ.

ICU JPM assesses status per person: total monthly household income divided by the number of household members. PGK values differ by state and by urban or rural area. The eKasih system works out poor or hardcore-poor status automatically.

How to register for eKasih: through ICU JPM state offices or district offices

The MOF Manfaat portal (updated 11 Oct 2026) says an online application link for eKasih is not yet available. According to the eKasih FAQ, you can register through these channels:

• go to your ICU JPM state office or nearest district office (Pejabat Daerah);
• contact ICU JPM by phone, letter or official email;
• report a poverty case through local leaders or the village development and security committee (JPKK or JPKKP).

You can also register a relative or friend who is poor or hardcore poor, if their income is below the current PGK.

The eKasih FAQ does not list the documents to bring. For example, see the 2025 eKasih registration form on the Kuala Selangor District Office portal. It asks for copies of the identity cards of the head and household members, a payslip or income confirmation, and a water or electricity bill. That form is only a first registration, and a census visit follows if the applicant qualifies.

What happens after you register

ICU JPM's registration flow chart shows these steps:

1. An officer checks whether the household is already in eKasih. If it is, the process ends.
2. If not, the short poverty registration form (Borang Pendaftaran Kemiskinan Ringkas) is filled in online, followed by an initial screening.
3. If the household qualifies, the details are verified in the field.
4. A supervisor checks and confirms the record, and the result is reported at a district or state focus group meeting.

ICU JPM does not state how long this takes. Its client charter only commits to a first response to public enquiries or complaints within three working days.

How to check your eKasih status at ekasih2.icu.gov.my

1. Type the address ekasih2.icu.gov.my into your browser yourself. Do not open links from unknown messages.
2. In the Semakan Pendaftaran (registration check) section, enter your identity card number without "-" and the captcha code.
3. The portal shows the name, whether you are a head of household (KIR) or household member (AIR), the head's name, the registration status, state and district. If there is no record, the portal says the number does not exist in the eKasih database.

You can also call your ICU JPM state office and give your name and identity card number to check your status, according to the eKasih FAQ.

Being registered in eKasih does not mean aid is approved

According to the eKasih FAQ, approval and duration of aid for registered households are decided by the agency giving the aid, based on its own conditions and criteria. eKasih data helps agencies identify those who truly qualify, based on the latest profile and the current PGK.

According to the RM40 Electricity Bill Rebate FAQ (11 Mar 2026), the eKasih system does not let users check the aid they receive. Eligibility for each type of aid must be checked on that agency's own portal.

Aid that uses eKasih records in 2026 and 2027

For other STR recipients, SARA 2027 is RM50 to RM150 a month, according to the Budget 2027 summary of measures. Our guide to SARA 2027 amounts by category has the details.

Contact ICU JPM to register or check

ICU JPM headquarters at Bangunan Perdana Putra, Putrajaya can be reached on 03-8000 8000 or by email at pertanyaan@icu.gov.my. The MOF Manfaat portal also lists ekasih@icu.gov.my for the eKasih system.

Complaints about ICU JPM services can be lodged through its public complaints system (SISPAA) at icu.spab.gov.my.

Avoid scams that use the eKasih name

The eKasih FAQ does not list WhatsApp, Telegram or third-party apps as registration channels, and it does not mention any registration fee. These cases show how scammers use the name of government aid:

• Berita RTM reported on 24 Jul 2024 that the Ipoh Magistrate's Court sentenced a labourer to four years in prison and 14 strokes of the cane. He offered eKasih aid that did not exist and got 13 victims to hand over RM200 to RM900 in cash each.
• Berita RTM reported on 14 Sep 2026 that ICU JPM had denied a "Geran Peralatan Usahawan" (entrepreneur equipment grant) poster circulating on WhatsApp. ICU JPM advised the public to check aid information with its state offices and official social media accounts.
• MOF stated on 15 Jan 2026 that it has never appointed any third party as an intermediary to manage or check government aid (Sebenarnya.my).
• Sebenarnya.my (MCMC) warned on 18 Aug 2023 about fake Telegram channels posing as government aid channels. They asked for phone numbers and verification codes to take over victims' Telegram accounts.

If you have been scammed, call the NSRC hotline 997 (24 hours) within 24 hours, then contact your bank and make a police report (MyGOV, 31 Jul 2026). You can check suspicious bank accounts or phone numbers on the Royal Malaysia Police Semak Mule portal (semakmule.rmp.gov.my). You can also check a message you received with our Scam Message Checker.