PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra) Special Vehicle Committee will submit an official application to the National Audit Department to carry out a thorough audit for the unit.
Its chairman Datuk Ramanan Ramakrishnan said this will help clear up all past allegations of the misappropriation of funds.
“We have not set a specific timeline for the audit because we want to leave no stone unturned. We will look at the details from the audit findings, and make decisions from that point," said Ramanan.
“But rest assured it will not be a witch hunt. If anyone is found guilty, they will have to face the consequences,” he told reporters after chairing the first committee meeting on Wednesday (April 19).
When asked about the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation into Mitra, he said it was best to let the agency handle the matter.
Ramanan also said that Mitra will be taking a new direction moving forward, focusing on uplifting the Indian and Indian Muslim community.
Mitra has been given a RM100mil allocation during Budget 2023, out of which RM30mil will be in the form of grants given to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), he added.
In ensuring transparency in the allocation of funds, he said every application can only be made via its official website (www.mitra.gov.my) and then announced publicly.
“We will be focusing on 10 key areas, including women and young entrepreneurs. Applications for grants have also been extended until May 28.
“There will also be an overall restructuring, expansion and revamping of Mitra. We will update all on the developments from time-to-time,” he said.
Ramanan said that all of these efforts will be carried out by the new committee, which includes Dewan Negara senator Datuk C. Sivaraja, Klang MP Ganabatirau Veraman, Segamat MP R. Yuneswaran and Mitra director-general Raveendran Nair as its secretariat.
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had returned Mitra to the PM’s Department following a request by MIC president Tan Sri Vigneswaran in September 2022.
In 2021, Mitra was investigated by the MACC over allegations that funds had been misappropriated from 2019 to 2021.
Graft investigators discovered weaknesses in the management of Mitra, a special government unit set up to address the socio-economic development of the Indian community, specifically the B40 group.
Mitra did not require the recipients to submit detailed expenditure reports for validation and the culprits knew how to exploit this lack of scrutiny to their advantage, the report said.
