KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA) has justified its decision to distribute refurbished laptops to Tamil vernacular schools, emphasising responsible budget management.
Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk Seri R. Ramanan stated that opting for new devices would have significantly drained funds and compromised other initiatives.
“Why give second-hand laptops? This is MITRA; we are not the Education Ministry, Communications Ministry or Digital Ministry. We have to do what is reasonable,” he said during a Parliament press conference.
Ramanan, MITRA’s former chairman, revealed all distributed laptops came through Google’s corporate social responsibility programme and included warranties.
Monitoring reports indicate the 6,000 units supplied to 520 schools have positively impacted students, teachers and administrators.
“All of them come with a warranty, and so far, surveys on the impact show school administrators and teachers reporting positive impact from the programme,” Ramanan added.
Launched in 2023, the programme aims to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural Tamil schools while preparing students for modern learning demands.
Addressing criticism of MITRA’s aviation training scheme, Ramanan confirmed 75 trainees are currently gaining hands-on experience in aircraft maintenance.
The remaining 25 participants will commence their training this September under the Westar Aviation collaboration.
MITRA Special Task Force Committee chairman P. Prabakaran separately urged an end to misinformation campaigns targeting the Indian community.
He welcomed the Prime Minister’s recent announcements for the community while calling for constructive engagement over provocation. – Bernama
