Harmoni Madani aid expanded to more gurdwaras, Indian churches

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian government is broadening financial support for Sikh gurdwaras and Indian Christian churches through the Harmoni Madani program, announced Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan. Ramanan directed the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) director-general, Raveendran Nair, to pinpoint additional eligible places of worship for aid.

At a cheque presentation event at Menara Perkeso, Ramanan stated that the initiative would work alongside the Dharma Madani programme, which offers assistance to Hindu temples. Present at the event was Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Jagdeep Singh Deo. Under Harmoni Madani, 164 places of worship across the country have received a cumulative RM3.28 million, with 57 being gurdwaras and 12 being churches; the remaining recipients are Hindu temples.

Separately, RM15.42 million has been allocated for 771 Hindu temples through Dharma Madani, each temple receiving RM20,000. The government plans to continue evaluating the programs and identify more eligible locations for assistance. The Uyarvu Madani grant programme has received 8,368 applications, surpassing its initial target of 700 recipients.

Ramanan predicted that the number of successful applicants could rise to between 1,100 and 1,150, depending on available funding. The program initially intended to grant up to RM50,000 per recipient, but some might receive RM20,000 or RM30,000 based on their needs. Mitra will also seek additional funding sources to aid more small businesses.

Ramanan emphasized that priority would be given to genuine applicants with viable businesses, unlike other financing schemes that offer loans. Earlier, Ramanan met with Jagdeep Singh Deo to discuss skills training and workforce development to support Penang's investment goals ahead of 2030. The discussions centered on training programs to meet industry demand, as Penang anticipates needing about 40,000 skilled workers by 2030.