KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra), which was linked to allegations of mismanagement of funds a few years ago, received an official rating of "low risk” from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for 2023.
Mitra was officially notified of the status through a letter signed by MACC’s Agency Integrity Management Division (BPIA) director, Datuk Nor Azmi Karim on Nov 22, the content of which has been cited and verified by Bernama.
Mitra’s Special Committee chairman, Datuk R. Ramanan, when contacted by Bernama, also confirmed receiving the letter two days ago.
"I would like to thank the MACC for their close cooperation and full support of Mitra all this time. The status for this year will certainly have a positive impact on this agency.
"After being appointed as the chairman of this Special Committee, the team’s main mission and focus has been to clean up the image of Mitra.
"There have been a lot of accusations and allegations about misappropriation of funds and other issues in the last few years," he said.
Ramanan, who is also the Sungai Buloh MP, said the Indian community also had a poor perception of the agency following several cases that went to court.
"That's why I am determined to strengthen Mitra's delivery system, especially in aspects of integrity and transparency. This rating status is a good start for us.
"I am also planning to make improvements for next year and am confident it will benefit the Indian community. We want to empower the Indian community, particularly the B40 group.
"I will announce it when the time comes," he said, adding that he has informed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim about the positive development.
Meanwhile, Mitra director-general Ravindran Nair described the status notification as "long-awaited".
"This rating is definitely a great sign, after so many baseless and reckless accusations. Mitra always prioritises a clean, efficient, and reliable delivery system.
"We thank the leadership of Datuk R. Ramanan and his team who have brought about numerous drastic changes to further strengthen MITRA’s management system," he said. - Bernama
