PKR MP Ramanan is now Mitra special committee chairperson

 

Sungai Buloh MP R Ramanan has been appointed as Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra) special committee chairperson.

The PKR lawmaker confirmed his appointment when contacted by Malaysiakini.

“Yes, I was appointed as the chairperson of Mitra’s special committee. Four other committee members were also appointed.

“The committee will hold its first meeting tomorrow with the members,” Ramanan (above) said.

The newly appointed members were Senator Sivarraajh Chandran (MIC), Klang MP V Ganabatirau (DAP), Segamat MP R Yuneswaran (PKR) and Mitra director-general K Raveendran Nair.

Mitra, launched in 2013 by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, was initially known as Socio-Economic Development of the Indian Community Unit (Sedic).

It was established to help poor Indians uplift their income capacity.

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

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

The Mitra fund issue came under the spotlight in 2021 following the arrest of several companies’ directors, who were suspected of embezzling funds allocated by the agency.

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.

It was placed under the Prime Minister’s Department after the unity government took office last November.

Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the finance minister, allocated funds worth RM100 million for Mitra during the tabling of Budget 2023 earlier this year. - Mkini