THE government has agreed to increase funding for the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (MITRA) to RM150 million, up from RM100 million previously, in a move aimed at strengthening targeted development programmes for the Indian community.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the decision was made following an assessment of MITRA’s performance and the effectiveness of its programmes, particularly those focused on education, skills training and socio-economic development.
“MITRA has special programmes, because we can combine the views of elite Indian scholars and representatives of Indian associations, but we must improve the programmes so that they truly reach the groups in need,” he said at a meet-and-greet session with Indian students at the University of Malaya on Sunday.
The revised allocation includes an additional RM50 million, bringing the total funding to RM150 million for the upcoming period.
Also present at the event was Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
Anwar said the MADANI Government remained committed to ensuring that development assistance was distributed fairly to all communities, including the Malaysian Indian community, which still faces issues related to poverty and social mobility.
He stressed that greater emphasis would also be placed on governance and accountability in the management of MITRA funds to ensure assistance reaches intended beneficiaries.
The Prime Minister said MITRA programmes were not limited to welfare aid, but also included educational opportunities and technical training for young people from the Indian community.
“Besides food baskets and others, and I give a guarantee that with the additional RM50 million, I do not want any family or any child to say they cannot continue their education simply because they do not have funding. We will try our very best to help them,” he said.
During the same event, Anwar also presented higher education assistance and MADANI devices to selected students, as part of ongoing government efforts to support access to education among underprivileged groups. - May 10, 2026
