Mitra failing marginalised Indians despite millions allocated, says author

Author Janakey Raman Manickam, 78, has criticized the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) for failing to uplift marginalized Indians, despite millions of dollars allocated to the program. In his book, "Malaysian Indians: Impact and Pain: Narration of an Unending Saga of a Marginalised Community," Manickam questions how Mitra can claim to uplift the community when many vulnerable members remain excluded.

Manickam, who previously worked as a laborer tapping rubber, has spent decades documenting the history and struggles of Malaysian Indians. He claims that Mitra's original purpose was undermined by political organizations, unscrupulous politicians, and questionable bureaucrats. The millions allocated to Mitra were spent on various organizations and business enterprises that did not benefit the community, he wrote.

Many Indian students face difficulties paying for tertiary education, entrepreneurs cannot secure business loans, and others remain unemployed despite Mitra's annual RM100 million allocation, according to Manickam. He also questions the effectiveness of Mitra-funded training programs, citing a 21-day hair salon course and a five-day manicure training program, both of which provided certificates but had unclear outcomes.

Manickam believes that changes in Mitra's leadership have not brought significant improvement. He asserts that the Indian community in Malaysia is not gullible and remains skeptical of the program's promises.