KUALA LUMPUR: The government has delivered special aid of RM3.17mil to 90 non-Muslim places of worship.
The aid was presented by Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Seri R Ramanan to representatives of 89 temples and one church across the country.
Ramanan said the allocation was set aside not to repair temples or churches but to host programmes aimed at helping the people, including initiatives such as holding tuition or religious classes.
"It is an allocation under the Finance Ministry, approved by the Prime Minister, demonstrating his commitment to the Indian community," he said at the ceremony in Brickfields on Sunday (Dec 22).
Ramanan said the assistance also quashed allegations that the Prime Minister is sidelining the Indian community in the country.
He said the Prime Minister did not personally present the assistance; however, he always takes a keen interest in the Indian community's welfare, frequently urging its leaders to carry out their responsibilities.
"Work has to be done. The people must benefit. While we may not always see him on stage, all of us, including Indian Members of Parliament and State Legislative Assembly representatives, are carrying out the work and responsibilities entrusted to us by the Prime Minister," he said.
Ramanan said that over the past two years of Anwar's administration, nearly RM300mil has been allocated for various programmes aimed at improving the socioeconomic status of the community, involving 275 initiatives under the Malaysia Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra).
He said that since the establishment of the Madani government in Nov 2022, MITRA has utilised 100% of its allocation in 2023 and 98.9 per cent in 2024 for the welfare and wellbeing of the Indian community.
"This is unlike the years from 2016 to 2022, where each year, a large portion of the allocation was left unspent by the previous governments for the development of the Indian community," he said, adding that the Unity Government has provided an additional RM136mil for the Indian community under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, further reflecting the government's commitment to empowering the Indian community.
Yesterday, Anwar called for an end to any narratives involving racial profiling in the distribution of aid, including efforts to eradicate hardcore poverty in the country. - Bernama
