PETALING JAYA: A total of RM9.24mil has been channelled to 462 temples nationwide by the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) under the Dharma Madani programme, says Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
The Human Resources Minister said the latest allocation of RM6mil for 300 temples comes under the programme’s second phase.
“The first phase involved 126 temples with an allocation of nearly RM3.24mil.
“The programme will continue with Phase 3 and Phase 4 although some applications are still incomplete in terms of documentation,” he told reporters after an engagement session with Indian community leaders and the handover of approval letters for the second phase yesterday.
Ramanan said Mitra has been instructed to assist in completing the relevant documents to ensure applications can be processed without issues.
“There are some temples with incomplete details, so additional documents are 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 will assist all and approve them once all conditions are fulfilled,” he said.
Mitra previously announced that a total of RM20mil fund will be distributed to 1,000 Hindu temples nationwide under the Dharma Madani initiative to support community and social development programmes.
The initiative is a long-term effort to strengthen the role of temples at the grassroots level.
Under the initiative, each temple will receive RM20,000.
On another matter, Ramanan said efforts to increase positions within Mitra are currently under review and awaiting formal approval.
He said 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 the centre, the community will have easier access to information and benefits, including programmes such as Vetri Madani under HRD Corp, which are still not widely known,” he said.
