KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has earmarked RM82mil for 570 Indian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to be used to ensure the community is progressive.
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the funds would be issued through the Socio-Economic Development of Indian Community, a unit under the Prime Minister’s Department.
“We hope that through MIC, component parties and friends of Barisan Nasional, we can give focus to the community so that it can experience structural and cultural changes,” the Prime Minister said.
“We want ethnic groups, no matter how big or small, to reap the benefits of the country’s progress.”
The Prime Minister was making his opening address at the handing-over ceremony of a RM8.892mil assistance grant to Indian NGOs at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.
He added that since he took over the country’s administration in 2009, many initiatives to help and boost the livelihoods of Indians had been made.
“All the initiatives can be seen in Budget 2016,” he said, adding that there was also RM100mil in Tekun loans for the community and a RM50mil allocation for Indian small and medium enterprises.
Yesterday’s grant was handed out to 30 NGOs for initiatives that included a youth mind development programme, creative content development training, reading and writing classes and a pre-marital course.
Earlier, MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said support from the Indian community was not reflective of the assistance provided by the Government since 2009.
“There is a disconnect between the level of support given to the Government and the amount of assistance given to the community,” he said, adding that under Najib’s leadership, the community had received “the most assistance in the country’s history”.
