THE Cabinet has opted to transfer the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA) back under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Department (PMD).
This move announced by unity government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil, follows a joint decision by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang.
MITRA, previously known as the Socioeconomic Development of the Indian Community Unit or Sedic, was initially under the PMD before being rebranded and placed under the national unity ministry in 2018.
However, in September 2022, former premier Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration returned Mitra to the PMD’s jurisdiction.
Despite this, in December of the same year, Anwar announced the reassignment of MITRA back to the National Unity Ministry with continued oversight from his office.
Moreover, the decision to transfer MITRA back to the PMD comes amid controversy surrounding its management.
The National Unity Ministry faced criticism after assuming control of MITRA, with some Indian groups calling for Aaron’s resignation following reports that he was unaware of MITRA’s purpose.
Furthermore, Aaron refuted claims that MITRA’s funding was controlled by Pemandu, a unit within the PMD, stating that Pemandu was solely responsible for conducting workshops and labs to facilitate strategic planning for MITRA and its blueprint. – April 3, 2024
Main photo credit: Bernama
