Batu MP appointed new Mitra chairman

PETALING JAYA: Batu MP P. Prabakaran(pic) has been appointed as the new Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra) Special Committee chairman.

He replaces Sungai Buloh MP Datuk R Ramanan who had held the post since April last year.

Prabakaran’s appointment will take effect immediately, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

“The appointment is to replace Ramanan who is now carrying out his duties as the Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister.

“The Prime Minister hopes that this appointment will ensure that Mitra continues to carry out its duties and responsibilities in raising the status and socio-economy of the Indian community,” said the PMO in a statement yesterday.

Ramanan was appointed as deputy minister in December last year during a Cabinet reshuffle which saw the number of ministers being increased from 28 to 31, while the number of deputy ministers was increased from 27 to 29.

In December, Ramanan said Mitra had achieved its 100% target in 2023. He also said the unit had successfully cleaned up its image and moved away from past accusations of mismanagement of funds – following an official rating of “low risk” from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for the year 2023.

In 2022, Mitra was probed by MACC over allegations of misappropriation of funds from 2019 to 2021.

It was called the Socioeconomic Development of the Indian Community Unit (Sedic), before it was renamed as Mitra in 2018.

It had initially been under the National Unity Ministry, but was moved under the Prime Minister’s Department in September 2022. In December last year, Mitra was placed back under the purview of the National Unity Ministry.