MAIKA SIDIC MITRA

PETALING JAYA: A DAP leader has highlighted several embezzlements and abuse of public funds meant for the Indian community.

These include the MIC-linked Maika Holdings, the Socio-Economic Development of the Indian Community Unit (Sedic) and the latest involving the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra), which is under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

“From time to time, attempts have been made to assist the community through the efforts of the political parties such as MIC and lately, public funds have been allocated through special agencies to assist the target group – Indians in need of assistance,” said Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy.

“However, funds meant for the uplift of the poor have been hijacked to cater to the interests of those who manage public funds. But the unfortunate thing is that these scandals are allowed to repeat and those responsible get away scot-free,” he said in a Facebook post today.

Describing this as a “curse on poor Indians”, Ramasamy said Maika, set up in the 1980s by MIC, was meant to mobilise funds from the community for investment purposes.

He said nearly RM100,000 was collected from its members to launch the fund under former MIC president S Samy Vellu.

If the company had engaged in the prudent management of the funds, he said, the Indian community could have assets worth a few billion ringgit.

“Maika Holdings is a sad chapter in the lives of Indians. The sad thing is that those responsible for the collapse of Maika Holdings have never been charged for criminality,” he said.

Further, Ramasamy said, during the tenure of former prime minister Najib Razak, Sedic was set up with public funds to assist the community. However, a similar fate befell Sedic with mismanagement of funds.

Under the Pakatan Harapan administration, Sedic had been renamed Mitra, and after the Perikatan Nasional government took over, Mitra was placed under the national unity ministry.

Recently, MACC arrested 16 company directors after they were suspected of being involved in misappropriating Mitra funds.

“Both Sedic and Mitra are guilty of not passing the funds to the affected groups and individuals directly. Those responsible for these two organisations are guilty of not channelling the funds directly to the recipients,” he said.

Ramasamy said the idea of assisting the Indian community indirectly by channelling funds to NGOs was “improper and highly unethical”.

“I understand that a big portion of the funds allocated might be used for administrative purposes of the NGOs including salaries of their staff. Funds given to NGOs might be subject to abuse.

“I urge the enforcement authorities to investigate not only the wrongdoing of Mitra but also its predecessor, Sedic,” he said.

WEll said by Ramasamy (DAP)

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