KUALA LUMPUR: The government, through the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra), has distributed about RM9.24mil to 462 temples nationwide under the Dharma Madani programme, says Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
Ramanan said the latest disbursement of RM6mil to 300 temples formed part of the programme’s second phase.
“This follows the first phase in January, which involved 126 temples and an allocation of nearly RM3.24mil.
“The programme will continue with Phases 3 and 4, although some applications are still incomplete in terms of documentation,” he said.
Ramanan said this after an engagement session with Indian community leaders and the handover of approval letters for the second phase of Dharma Madani on Tuesday (April 28).
He said Mitra has been instructed to assist in completing the relevant documents to ensure funding applications can be processed without issues.
“There are some temples whose forms are incomplete, so additional documents are still required.
“We will monitor and provide guidance, and ensure that once everything is in order, we will grant approval.
“We do not reject applications; we assist all and approve them once all conditions are fulfilled and complied with,” he said.
In other developments, he said efforts to increase positions within Mitra are currently under review and awaiting formal approval, although a policy decision has already been agreed upon.
He said the additional posts are important to enable Mitra to establish a one-stop centre for the Indian community to access information on various government programmes.
“Through this centre, the community will be able to access information and benefits more easily, including programmes such as Vetri Madani under HRD Corp, which are still not widely known,” he said.
