KUALA LUMPUR: The Indian community has not been sidelined as various forms of assistance have been provided in addition to allocations under the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra), says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Citing examples, he said government initiatives since 2022 included RM500mil allocated to the community under the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) programme.
This year, he said, the allocation amounted to RM972mil.
“To say that the Indian community depends solely on Mitra is not true.
"The nearly RM1bil allocation does not come from Mitra,” he said during Prime Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Aug 19).
S. Kesavan (PH-Sungai Siput) had asked about the government’s focus through Mitra and other agencies to uplift the socio-economic development of the community.
He added that while the majority of recipients of the Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme were bumiputra, the Indian community had not been excluded.
The government, he said, had introduced a RM1.2bil scheme specifically for the Indian community.
In addition, he said RM100mil is provided annually under Mitra for socio-economic development programmes.
Anwar urged all MPs and state assemblymen to help disseminate accurate information to counter claims that the government has neglected the Indian community.
He acknowledged, however, that details of the assistance and initiatives for the community may not always reach the ground.
“This issue of information not reaching the people is our shared responsibility. I urge MPs and assemblymen to convey the full picture,” he said.
