A GOVERNMENT backbencher has urged the unity government to increase allocations to the Indian community in Budget 2024 to elevate the livelihoods of the bottom 40 (B40) households.

Sungai Siput MP Kesavan Subramaniam said the government can do so by increasing allocations for the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra) from the present RM100 million to RM500 million.

Budget 2024 will be tabled by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the finance minister, on October 13. The government is now conducting engagement sessions with all stakeholders.

“The government aid that is channeled through Mitra is not enough to raise the wellbeing of the Indian community to the desired level.

“The allocation of RM100 million to Mitra cannot cover the needs of the various target groups in the Indian community.

“I suggest that RM500 million be allocated in Budget 2024,” Kesavan told The Malaysian Insight.

Mitra is a special purpose Indian community empowerment unit under the Prime Minister’s Department.

It was formed under the Najib Razak administration as the Social-economic Development Indian Unit (Sedic) but later rebranded as Mitra.

Kesavan said Putrajaya’s financial assistance alone would not be sufficient to improve the living standards of the Indian community in the country.

He said 65% of the community are from the low-income group and their household median salary is around RM3,500.

“Approximately 850,000 Indians in the B40 category need help and attention,” he said.

Kesavan, from PKR, also pointed out that the percentage of Indian civil servants has decreased from 9.8% to 5.2% over the past 24 years.

He said the Indian community should be given more opportunities in the public sector as well as in government-linked companies.

“The Public Service Commission should be given a key performance indicator to increase the recruitment of civil servants among the Indian community so that it can be increased to 6% within the next five years.

“The Special Implementation Taskforce on Indian Community (SITF) as well as the Public Service Department should ensure that the recruitment of civil servants of the community is monitored in an effort to ensure balanced representation in the public service sector,” he said.

Kesavan expressed his confidence in the leadership of Anwar, saying the prime minister would definitely help the Indian community which is among the poorest in the country. – September 19, 2023.