PUTRAJAYA: Five key initiatives designed to empower the B40 Indian community will be implemented efficiently and without delay following a Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA) committee meeting.
Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk Seri R. Ramanan confirmed the initiatives include 33 development projects across 21 traditional Indian villages managed by the Housing and Local Government Ministry.
“The projects are ready to roll out,” Ramanan told a press conference after chairing the meeting attended by multiple government agencies.
He further detailed that the second initiative involves distributing smartboards to 400 out of 527 Tamil national-type schools nationwide through Yayasan Didik Negara.
“Some schools will receive more than one smartboard, and YDN will handle the distribution,” said Ramanan, who also serves as PKR vice president and Sungai Buloh MP.
The meeting also addressed an application for one-off RM20,000 financial assistance for 1,000 Hindu places of worship nationwide, pending written approval from the Prime Minister.
“This application will only open once we receive formal approval,” he explained, noting the funds are intended for religious, educational, or community programmes under the Dharma MADANI initiative.
A proposal to extend housing maintenance assistance to small-scale Indian farmers and B40 farm workers was reviewed, with 5,238 smallholders identified as potential recipients.
Ramanan clarified that final approval for the farmers’ aid rests with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who will review the proposal upon submission.
The committee also discussed one-off assistance for Tamil school students purchasing uniforms and supplies, with the final decision awaiting feedback from an Education Ministry study.
Additionally, the RM2,000 one-off assistance for Indian B40 students in higher education institutions will continue, with applications opening soon.
“Last year, 8,000 Indian B40 students received this assistance, and in 2023, 10,000 students benefitted, with an estimated RM20 million allocated for this purpose,” Ramanan stated.
He assured that payments will be made directly to students’ accounts under close monitoring by the Prime Minister’s Office, Education Ministry, and relevant agencies to ensure proper distribution. – Bernama
