Where is RCI on Mitra, Kulasegaran asks

 

PARLIAMENT | Former human resources minister M Kulasegaran has questioned the next steps the government will take on the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra). 

He reminded the government, led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, that Pakatan Harapan had used the Mitra fund as one of its selling points in its manifesto for the 15th general election.  

“During the last elections, we campaigned on the basis that many wealthy politicians have stolen money meant for the poor. And yet, these people who took the money have had no action brought upon them. 

“Now, we want to know what action will be taken. The prime minister (Anwar Ibrahim) himself had vowed that a forensic audit would be done on Mitra, Maika Holdings and Sedic (Socioeconomic Development of the Indian Community Unit),” Kulasegaran (Pakatan Harapan-Ipoh Barat, above) said during his debate on the Royal Address. 

Anwar had promised in September last year that if Harapan were to return to power following the 15th general election (GE15), it would conduct forensic audits on investment company Maika Holdings Bhd, MIC’s educational arm Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED) and the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra).

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

It was also promised in Harapan’s GE15 manifesto that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) would be established to investigate all MIC-related institutions, including Maika. 

Maika Holdings was established by MIC in the early 1980s as an investment company that raised RM106 million from about 55,000 shareholders - mostly from the low-income group.

However, Maika Holdings failed to provide returns to the investors, causing those who had taken loans or sold their assets to invest to become neglected for years.

The company’s finances worsened in the 1990s when Maika was supposed to buy 10 million Telekom shares, but eventually purchased only one million units of these shares.

Meanwhile, Mitra, launched in 2013 by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, was initially known as Sedic.

Sedic was disbanded when the BN government fell after the 14th general election and later revived as Mitra under the Pakatan Harapan administration.

After the Harapan government was dissolved, Mitra was placed under the National Unity Ministry.

The Mitra fund issue came under the spotlight recently following the arrest of several of the company’s directors who were suspected of being involved in embezzling its allocated grant.

A total of 337 companies, organisations and NGOs were identified as having received grants of an approximate total of RM203 million from Mitra between 2019 and 2021.

Kulasegaran then went on to criticise the government’s move to “postpone” the implementation of the new minimum wage of RM1,500. 

This comes after Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar provided a grace period until July 1 for companies with fewer than five employees this year to start paying the new minimum wage of RM1,500. 

Kulasegaran said it was a ridiculous move as the increased wages would bring about many benefits to workers, many of whom are among the hardcore poor. 

He also pointed out that when Harapan first took office in 2018, it had promised to raise the minimum wage by RM100 each year. - Mkini