MUAR, April 12 — The government is looking to enhance the Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB) to address issues with regard to the socio-economic development of the Indian community in the country, says National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique.
She said the plan would be improved by dividing it into three clusters, namely human capital; entrepreneurship and career; and social welfare, to ensure that the community – especially those in the B40 target group – received the full benefit.
“MIB was launched in 2017, but the (existing) plan is too wide in scope and there is no focus on clusters. So we will redevelop this plan to make it easier for the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (MITRA) led by the Ministry of National Unity to carry out its responsibilities.
“As MITRA receives a government allocation of about RM100 million every year, it will be used according to the plan set for the Indian community,” she said at a press conference after officiating a Johor state-level programme for empowering the Rukun Tetangga community leadership here today.
Also present was Johor Unity, Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Dr Chong Fat Full.
MIB was launched by former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in April 2017 as an official 10-year government blueprint for the development of the Indian community.
Earlier at the ceremony, Halimah handed over a replica cheque worth RM4.056 million to Dr Chong to be handed over to 826 Rukun Tetangga Communities (KRT) throughout the state of Johor to implement programmes and activities to inculcate the national unity agenda.
Meanwhile, Halimah in her speech called on KRT members to better understand the National Unity Policy in order to strengthen national unity and integration as well as being more creative in planning and implementing high-impact activities for communities in their respective areas.
In another development, she said as of April 10, a total of 104,142 KRT members nationwide had registered themselves to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
