KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 ― The investigation into alleged misappropriated funds in the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) has caused MPs to ask for a proper breakdown of the companies granted funds under its schemes.
In the Dewan Rakyat today, Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran said he sees only short-term policies to help the Indian community with only food baskets at the forefront of aid.
He claimed many ethnic Indians are still involved in gangsterism, contributing to 31 per cent of all violent crimes nationwide with only seven per cent of the total national population.
“There doesn’t seem to be any seriousness in helping the Indian community. No policies or initiatives thus far. It shows a loss of focus (from the ministry).
“I suggest a new bipartisan committee to study the poor cash flow and to work on prioritising the needy. Right now there’s no proof to show the money aggregate thus far for Indian’s has been done properly and power is too centralised,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
“So give the specifics who have been given aid and what MACC's role here? Since they said they can't talk about matters under investigation, can the minister give an honest answer?”
MACC have said they are reviewing all applications, expenditure reports and programmes said to have been implemented by recipients of the Mitra allocations from 2019 to 2021.
This follows the arrest of several company directors over the past few days on suspicion of being involved in the misappropriation of Mitra funds.
Sepang MP Datuk Mohamed Hanipa Maidin meanwhile asked unity minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique if she had lodged police reports against those who misappropriated the funds.
“Have you been called to give your testimony? Also, how are we supposed to fathom something as ridiculous as having the MACC form an investigative committee with the ministry it’s tasked with investigating?” he asked.
Hanipa asked the ministry to provide him with all the 337 companies who were said to have received grants from Mitra so they can check in detail if these companies were deserving of the grants or if someone had misappropriated these funds.
