Aid for Indian community goes beyond Mitra allocations, says Anwar
The prime minister says the government’s support include cash contributions, business financing, school upgrades, and funding for places of worship.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that government aid for the Indian community in Malaysia extends beyond the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) allocations. During a visit to the Brickfields Deepavali mega bazaar, Anwar, who also serves as Finance Minister, clarified that beneficiaries are entitled to mainstream assistance schemes such as cash aid, business financing, school renovations, and funding for religious institutions.
He emphasized that the notion that Mitra is the sole assistance provided to the Indian community is incorrect.
Anwar detailed the additional assistance measures, including the allocation of RM150 million to boost Mitra's funding specifically for Indian entrepreneurs. He also highlighted the expansion of support programs like Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR), Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), and Tekun, which were previously reserved for Bumiputera small traders.
Furthermore, RM50 million was dedicated to improving Tamil schools and building new ones, including the ongoing construction of SJKT Ladang Pamol in Kluang and six other schools approaching completion.
The Prime Minister revealed that the government's assistance allocations have surged significantly compared to previous administrations, with the amount earmarked for STR and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) reaching RM16 billion in 2024. This is a stark contrast to RM6 billion allocated for Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) in 2018 and RM8 billion for Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) in 2022.
Anwar stressed that while there were previous assistance programs, the current allocations represent a marked increase, particularly benefiting those in the lower-income bracket.
Moreover, Anwar announced the disbursement of RM1.1 billion in STR payments during Deepavali, which will reach five million recipients across various communities, encompassing 630,000 individuals from the Indian community. He also announced an additional RM80 million for the repair and maintenance of places of worship, including temples across Malaysia.
Author Janakey Raman Manickam, in his book "Malaysian Indians: Impact and Pain: Narration of an Unending Saga of a Marginalised Community," criticized the Indian community's ongoing marginalization and the exclusion of estate workers from government programs, despite substantial allocations to Mitra. He questioned the effectiveness of current disbursements, pointing out that many students continue to struggle with tertiary tuition fees and entrepreneurs face obstacles in obtaining business loans.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
