A total of five initiatives to empower the Indian community, discussed at the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) Implementation Committee Meeting on September 24, will be implemented without delay, said Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.

Among the initiatives are:

Village development projects – 33 projects to be carried out across 21 traditional Indian villages under the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT).


Smartboard distribution – 400 out of 527 Tamil National Type Schools (SJKT) nationwide will receive smartboards through Yayasan Didik Negara (YDN), with allocations based on student enrollment.

Financial aid for places of worship – A proposed one-off allocation of RM20,000 each for 1,000 Hindu temples nationwide, subject to the Prime Minister’s written approval.

Support for small-scale farmers – Aid for 5,238 Indian smallholders, particularly for housing improvements and maintenance for B40 farm workers, pending final approval from the Prime Minister.

Educational assistance – One-off support for SJKT students to purchase uniforms and school supplies (pending MoE study), and continuation of the RM2,000 assistance for Indian B40 students pursuing higher education at public and private institutions.

“The projects are ready to roll out. Decisions have been made, everything is in place, and we will begin implementation immediately,” Ramanan said at a press conference after the meeting.

He added that payments for higher education aid will continue to be made directly to students’ accounts, with strict monitoring by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Education Ministry, YDN, and other agencies to ensure transparency and accountability.


Source / Image Credit : The Star