FUNDS from an Indian community programme set up by the Barisan Nasional government to help the poor was instead channelled directly to a former minister and two deputies, P. Waytha Moorthy told Parliament today.

“There basis to the claims that the funds allocated by BN did not reach the targeted groups but I can state here that we have found that no funds were channelled to MIC,” said the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

“However, there were wrongdoings in channelling the funds and a sum of it went directly to a former minister and two deputy ministers. This is still being investigated by the MACC,” he said without revealing their identities, in response to a supplementary question by Jelutong-PH MP Sanisavara Nethaji Rayer.

He wanted to know whether MIC was a beneficiary of funds from the Socio-Economic Development of the Indian Community Unit (Sedic).

Quoting the Auditor-General’s Report Series 1 2018, Waytha said an audit of Sedic’s programmes showed that there was a lack of transparency and no records were kept on its beneficiaries.

“A lot of misappropriation and abuses have taken place. The MACC is investigating all of these,” he added.

Sedic has since been rebranded into the Malaysia Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) under the Pakatan Harapan government, which has provided RM100 million in funding for Mitra to carry out various programmes to improve the quality of life of the Indian community, especially those in the Bottom 40 category.

There are 211 programmes in various phases of development in partnership with civil society groups and private education institutions spanning four categories: education and training, economic and career, welfare and social, as well as religion and spirituality

Waytha said the aim of these programmes is to increase the competency and capabilities of the Indian community, and improve the quality of their lives.

Additionally, in response to a supplementary question by M Saravanan (Tapah-BN), Waytha said Tekun Nasional has provided RM20million to assist those who have completed their training and are looking to venture into entrepreneurship. – November 4, 2019.