Please intervene personally and expedite the disbursement of MITRA funds, PM Anwar told

A senator has appealed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to personally intervene to expedite the disbursement of MITRA funds.

“I urge Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to intervene and expedite the disbursement of MITRA’s funds urgently to the Indian community.

“Only the Prime Minster’s direct involvement can restore the Indian community’s confidence in the unity government’s commitment to uplift their welfare and socio-economic standards,” said Senator Dr A Lingeshwaran in a statement.

The call was made in view of funds of upto RM40 million that has been approved under Phase 1 of Budget but it has been delayed.

“These are not pending applications. These are 45 fully approved and signed agreements, involving legitimate NGOs, training providers, and social development partners,” he said.

Lingeshwaran also urged Anwar to direct MITRA to release a full public report on the status of the status RM100 million allocated under Budget 2025.

In addition to that he called for the implementation of a clear, time – bound disbursement schedule that is monitored and updated publicly on a monthly basis.

The RM40 million are meant to support education, skills training, entrepreneurship development, women empowerment, and other high-impact initiatives.

“The delay has unfortunately hurt implementation plans, derailing community timelines, and straining the trust of stakeholders who acted in good faith.”

The DAP leader pointed out that the issue surrounding MITRA is of the trust of the Indian community and the government.

“The RM100 million is not symbolic — it is a practical tool meant to address deep-rooted disparities. Every month of delay is a month of lost opportunity.

“The Indian community has placed its faith in the unity government, believing in a government that upholds justice, compassion, and shared prosperity.

“But when that belief is met with bureaucratic silence, it creates disappointment, resentment, and disengagement.

“Worse of all it undermines the credibility of MITRA as well as harms the relationship between the government and the Indian community based on trust, dignity, and faith of the community towards the unity government.”

MITRA or the Malaysian Indian Transformation unit under the Prime Minister’s Department receives an annual allocation of RM100 million for the upliftment of the socioeconomic status of the Indian community.