KUALA LUMPUR: More than RM65.5mil has been channelled to the Indian community through programmes under the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) from January to June this year, says Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan.
The Human Resources Minister said the initiatives under the Madani government covered education, entrepreneurship, community welfare, places of worship, dialysis aid and assistance for the B40 group.
He said the government’s approach was to ensure that development reached all communities.
“The Madani government believes development must be inclusive. No community should be left behind and every Malaysian deserves equal opportunities to progress,” he said.
Ramanan said this after accompanying Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to a meet-and-greet session with more than 3,000 members of the Indian community in Negri Sembilan.
He said among the targeted initiatives introduced were Kalvi Madani, laptop assistance for Indian university students, smart boards for Tamil schools, Celik Madani, Arogya Madani, higher education entry assistance and dialysis aid.
He said Mitra’s allocation had also been increased to RM150mil, the highest allocation ever for the Indian community in Malaysia.
Ramanan said the strong turnout at the programme showed that the community appreciated the government’s efforts to listen to their concerns and respond through programmes that brought direct benefits.
He said the government would continue efforts to empower the Indian community through education, human capital development, employment opportunities, entrepreneurship and social protection.
“When policies are implemented consistently and the benefits are felt by the people, public confidence in the government will continue to grow,” he said.
