Bersatu wing tells govt Indian MPs to quit over Mitra’s failure

Earlier today, Klang MP V Ganabatirau told the Dewan Rakyat that Mitra had been hampered by frequent leadership changes, bureaucracy and the lack of long-term planning.

He also said funds often failed to reach those most in need and accused some ministries of treating Mitra as an “emergency fund” rather than a proper development agency.

In a statement, Bersatu associate wing vice-chief R Sri Sanjeevan said Ganabatirau’s admission confirmed that Mitra had become a “political tool and a crony project hub, not a saviour for the community”.

“This is not just Mitra’s failure – this is a moral failure of all Indian elected representatives in the government,” said Sanjeevan.

“They were chosen to be the voice of the people, but in the end, they have become enablers of weaknesses and abuse of power.

“Indian MPs in the government who lack the courage to speak up should immediately resign. Don’t put on a show pretending to speak out about Mitra just to gain popularity and votes from the Indian community.”

Apart from calling for a forensic audit to be conducted on all of Mitra’s expenditure since its establishment, Sanjeevan also said all Mitra projects that had failed to meet their objectives should be made public.

Last week, Mitra chairman P Prabakaran said the agency’s past failures were due to a lack of continuity, which he said disrupted long-term efforts to uplift the Indian community.

Prabakaran told the Dewan Rakyat  that over the past decade, Mitra and its predecessor, the Socioeconomic Development of the Indian Community Unit, had seen frequent changes in leadership and policies.

However, Prabakaran said under his tenure, he had ensured that Mitra’s direction was aligned with national policies – and not individual preferences.

The Batu MP took over as Mitra chairman in February 2024.