PMX should bring back Cabinet Committee on Indian affairs!

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made a key announcement during a campaign rally in Negeri Sembilan, stating that he will personally oversee Indian community affairs to address ongoing concerns, with Minister Datuk Seri Ramanan assisting him in these efforts.

While the Prime Minister’s announcement has been acknowledged as commendable, analysts and observers suggest that the administration and cabinet still lack a full understanding of the core issue. The primary concern, they emphasise, extends beyond MITRA (Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit) itself.

Historical Context: The Cabinet Committee framework

In 2009, when Datuk Seri Najib Razak became Prime Minister, he established a special Cabinet Committee specifically dedicated to Indian community affairs. Although a Cabinet Committee is often restricted to ministers in that Committee, Najib included Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, who was only a Deputy Minister.

Establishing this committee directly under the Prime Minister’s purview ensured that other government ministries and departments took its decisions seriously, leading to effective implementation across sectors. Under Najib’s chairmanship, the committee carried weight and achieved key milestones, including:

• Allocation of additional funding for Tamil schools and the establishment of new Tamil schools.

• Integration of targeted welfare and infrastructure initiatives into annual national budgets.

• The formal creation of SEDIC (Socio-economic Development of the Indian Community) as a dedicated unit, led by Datuk N.S. Rajendran.

The initiative also produced the comprehensive Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB), which was launched in 2017 to address long-term development strategies for the community.

Observers point out that MITRA, which evolved from SEDIC in 2018, was intended to be just one operational branch under the broader Cabinet Committee, rather than the complete solution to Indian community affairs.

Following Najib’s tenure, successive administrations attempted to centralise all Indian community issues purely within MITRA, reducing it to a single department and shifting it between various ministries. Originally under the Prime Minister’s Department, MITRA was later transferred to the National Unity Ministry under a Malay Minister, diverging from its foundational scope.

Although MITRA was briefly returned to the Prime Minister’s Department, it was subsequently placed under the Ministry of Human Resources under Minister Datuk Seri Ramanan. Critics argue that placing such a task under a single ministry limits its scope, making it appear as solely that minister’s responsibility rather than a government-wide priority.

The Path Forward

To achieve meaningful, long-term resolution for the issues facing the Indian community, analysts argue that the government must recognise MITRA as merely one component of a broader framework.

They urge the government to restore the original structure by re-establishing a dedicated Cabinet Committee on Indian Community Affairs chaired directly by the Prime Minister, with MITRA operating under its oversight. Placing the initiative under the Prime Minister’s direct leadership would restore authority, ensuring that decisions are monitored and carried out effectively by all relevant ministries and civil servants.

Several social-media postings also urged the Prime Minister to bring back the Cabinet Committee on Indian affairs.