PUTRAJAYA: A total of five initiatives to empower the Indian community that were discussed in the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) Implementation Committee Meeting on Wednesday (Sept 24) will be implemented efficiently and without delay.
Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, Datuk Seri R. Ramanan. said the initiatives include 33 projects to be carried out across 21 traditional Indian villages, managed by the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT).
"The projects are ready to roll out. Decisions have been made, everything is in place, and we will begin implementation immediately,” he told a press conference following the meeting.
The meeting was attended by representatives from several government agencies, including KPKT, the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister's Department, the Ministry of Economy, and the Education Ministry.
Ramanan also shared that the second initiative involves the provision of smartboards to 400 out of 527 Tamil National Type Schools (SJKT) nationwide. The smartboards will be distributed through Yayasan Didik Negara (YDN), with the number of units allocated based on student enrollment at each school.
"Some schools will receive more than one smartboard, and YDN will handle the distribution,” said Ramanan who is also a PKR vice president and the Sungai Buloh MP.
Ramanan further elaborated that the meeting also addressed the application for one-off financial assistance of RM20,000 for 1,000 Hindu places of worship nationwide, which is subject to written approval from the Prime Minister.
"This application will only open once we receive formal approval. The Prime Minister has directed me to make a few improvements before proceeding,” he said, adding that the fund is intended to support religious, educational, or community programmes (Dharma MADANI Programme).
The meeting also reviewed a proposal to extend assistance to small-scale Indian farmers, particularly for minor improvements and maintenance of housing for Indian B40 farm workers.
A total of 5,238 smallholders have been identified as potential recipients of this aid. However, Ramanan noted that final approval rests with Anwar, who will review the proposal once submitted.
Ramanan also highlighted a proposal to provide one-off assistance to SJKT students for purchasing uniforms and school supplies for the upcoming academic year. The final decision will be based on feedback from a study conducted by the Education Ministry
In addition, a one-off RM2,000 assistance for Indian B40 students pursuing higher education at public and private institutions will continue. Applications for this aid will open soon.
"Last year, 8,000 Indian B40 students received this assistance, and in 2023, 10,000 students benefitted, with an estimated RM20 million allocated for this purpose.
"Payments will be made directly to students’ accounts, with no intermediaries involved. The Prime Minister’s Office, MoE, YDN, and relevant agencies would be monitoring the process to ensure the aid reaches the intended recipients,” Ramanan said. - Bernama
