I REFER to the article “Mitra seeks mandate to monitor Indian community initiatives” (Sunday Star, Feb 9; online at bit.ly/star_mitra). This is a welcome proposal. So, too, is Mitra (Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit) chairman P. Prabakaran’s idea of a commission for minorities. Many countries, including South Africa and Pakistan, have such a commission.
Prabakaran’s policy paper touching on education, entrepreneurship and the drawbacks of the ad hoc nature of programme implementation for the Indian community is a well-thought through proposal that needs to be adopted urgently by the Economy Ministry and its minister, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli.
Economically, the Indian community is far behind and is still grappling with legacy issues dating back to British colonial times.
I believe Mitra, under the able leadership of the youthful Prabakaran, has now established itself as a credible, transparent, and professional entity in a short period of time. I commend him on a job well done. I also commend Sunday Star for highlighting this issue.
LB FERNANDEZ
Shah Alam
