Madani gov’t should stop taking Indians for a ride by dishing out peanuts funding sum

Madani gov’t should stop taking Indians for a ride by dishing out peanuts funding sum

By Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy

INSOFAR as the Budget 2024 is concerned, the allocation of RM130 mil to the Indian community can be described as a “drop in the ocean”, “pittance” or “peanuts”.


The total budget amounts to RM395 bil. The “Neanderthal in the room” is the grossly inadequate budget allocation for the Indian community, not the mechanisms of the distribution of the funds.

If this is not addressed, what is the point of having a task force to ensure the funds reach the deserving target groups and individuals?


To the individuals who are advocating the establishment of a task force, the problem is not about the gross inadequate funds made available to the Indian community but more the question of channelling the funds in an efficient manner.

This is what I called the syndrome of misplacing priorities that serve the established powers.

The RM130 mil will be allocated to Indians through the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA) (RM100 mil) and for Indian entrepreneurial activities (RM30 mil) through the Tekun programme.

Pic credit: Thisaigal TV Malaysia

Having allocated basically peanuts or pittance to the Indian community, the unity government has claimed that it is a balanced budget.

Some Indian leaders in PH who are basically “apple polishers” have supported Budget 2024. They have found nothing wrong with the budget especially the meagre allocation to the Indian community.


Appalling attitude of Indian PH leaders

It is not about the “drop in the ocean” but how the funds will be dispensed to the community. The question is when there are hardly any funds to distribute, it serves no point in asking about the mechanisms of distribution.

One self-proclaimed leader went to the extent of chiding Indians for not understanding the budget. As though if a person memorises the entire budget, the full extent of funds allocated for the community can be discerned.

This is the kind of sycophants who miserably fail to speak on behalf of the community. In taking about the minuscule or shameful budget allocation for Indians, it makes no sense to engage in empty talks about the manner of the funds are distributed.

Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy

If the amount is so little, what is there to distribute by forming a task force. It will be like scraping the bottom for the Indian community. This pretentious Madani government should be honest to Indians.

The community cannot be taken for a long and miserable ride by pretentious leaders. What is the point of entertaining Tamil film stars and quoting the Thirukural (ancient Tamil script) if the interest and well-being is not the concern of the present government.

I am not asking the government of the day to have a solidarity week for the discriminated Indians in the country. If the government does not need the support of Indians, then this message needs to be imparted in a forthright manner.

This would be clear signal for the community to chart their future political course. Indians are slowly but surely deserting the unity government as witnessed in the last state and recent by-elections.

Indians can be discriminated, marginalised and exploited but there is no way their thinking can be changed. – Oct 29, 2023



Former DAP stalwart and ex-deputy chief minister II of Penang, Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy was also the former Perai state assemblyman.