Kuala lumpur: Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk Seri R. Ramanan has been entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing and monitoring the implementation of projects involving temples and Tamil schools. The directive comes as part of efforts to address the needs of the Indian community in Malaysia.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, through Treasury Secretary-General Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican, recently tasked Ramanan with this responsibility. This move also includes drafting new initiatives aimed at benefiting the Indian community. Ramanan, who is PKR Vice President and Member of Parliament for Sungai Buloh, confirmed receiving the official communication regarding this mandate last Monday.

Ramanan expressed his commitment to the new role, stating that he would provide further details following discussions with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He indicated that his immediate plans involve liaising with the Prime Minister’s Department and the Ministry of Education, with an announcement expected by the end of this week or the following week.

Since his appointment in December 2023, Ramanan has spearheaded several initiatives through the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) to bolster the economic standing of the Indian entrepreneur community. Notable among these is the allocation of RM100 million through the Indian Community Entrepreneur Development Scheme (SPUMI) and SPUMI Goes Big via TEKUN Nasional, marking the largest allocation for the Indian community to date.

Additionally, Ramanan highlighted the RM100 million earmarked for empowering Indian women entrepreneurs through the Prosperity Empowerment and A New Normal for Indian Women (PENN) initiative, alongside RM100 million through Bank Rakyat Indian Entrepreneur Financing-i (BRIEF-i). Furthermore, RM50 million has been allocated for the Vanigham Financing Scheme under SME Bank to support small businesses.

To further support Indian-owned companies, a matching grant of RM6 million has been provided through the Business Accelerator Program for Indian-Owned Companies (I-BAP) SME Corp. The initiatives also include aid for houses of worship, the Vanakkam Madani Program, Empowering Indian Entrepreneurs (EIP), and grant aid for Indian Community Cooperatives (Bakti Madani) under the Malaysian Cooperatives Commission.