MIC president S A Vigneswaran suggested that Mitra restructure its functions and roles in line with the Bumiputera agenda steering unit (Teraju).

He also asked Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to consider a proposal that funds which Mitra had returned to the Treasury be sent to a Mitra Foundation, set up and managed by civil servants.

“We agree that Mitra faced various constraints when it came to spending the RM100 million allocated annually within the stipulated time. As a result, we have had to return over RM400 million to the finance ministry,” he said at MIC’s 75th general assembly today.

He said although the government had allocated a special fund to transform the Indian community, it had not been used as Mitra could not comply with existing financial procedures.

Vigneswaran called on the government to increase the number of kindergarten classes in Tamil schools. He said pupils should also be given breakfast and teachers provided with teaching materials.

He said the proposals were carried out by the last Barisan Nasional (BN) government, but later disrupted after the 2018 general election.

The MIC also proposed the re-establishment of the special Cabinet committee for the Indian community to implement an action plan to develop the Indian community.

Ismail, who was present, also spoke at the assembly, which was officiated by BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Some 2,000 MIC delegates attended.