PM has final say on Mitra funds disbursement, says Prabakaran

Summary

• Mitra special task force committee chairperson P Prabarakan says all funding applications from its agency must get final approval from the prime minister.

• This comes after a DAP senator yesterday urged the prime minister to intervene over delays in Mitra fund disbursement.

Amid questions about delays in dishing out Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit’s (Mitra) funds, one of its officials said the final decision rests on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Its special task force committee chairperson P Prabarakan said Mitra received 1,332 applications for funds between Dec 2, 2024, and Jan 5, 2025, under the Mitra Socioeconomic Development Grant Programme 2025.

“Based on our guidelines, every application must undergo three stages of vetting.

“First involves the section stage, and the second involves approvals from the Mitra working committee and the Mitra steering committee at the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The final approval comes from the premier himself,” the Batu MP said in a statement today.

Prabakaran (above) stated that Mitra is currently processing grant applications made this year, adding that 45 programme proposals that had been approved in the first series have been presented to the PMO for consideration.

Yesterday, DAP Senator Dr A Lingeshwaran urged Anwar to intervene and resolve issues involving Mitra’s delay in disbursing funds to approved programmes.

He said that 45 community-focused programmes endorsed by Mitra, valued at RM40 million under Phase 1 of Budget 2025, have yet to receive funds.

“These are not pending applications. These are 45 fully approved and signed agreements involving legitimate NGOs, training providers, and social development partners.

“These funds are intended to support education, skills training, entrepreneurship development, women’s empowerment, and other high-impact initiatives.

“The delay has unfortunately hurt implementation plans, derailing community timelines, and straining the trust of stakeholders who acted in good faith,” Lingeshwaran added.

Mitra’s commitment

While Prabakaran did not elaborate on the cause of the delay, he extended appreciation to applicants who have been cooperative and patient throughout the process.

He also pointed out that the strict guidelines imposed were to ensure only high-impact programmes receive funds.

“My agency and I are committed to ensuring every funding is channelled fairly to benefit the Indian community,” he remarked.

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