Indian NGOs have expressed doubts on whether Putrajaya has the political will to implement the Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB) after the next general election, since similar proposals in the past were never realised.

The MIB was launched by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on Sunday. The plan proposes the spending of hundreds of millions of ringgit to improve the welfare of the Indian community over the next 10 years.

Najib said the blueprint was drafted by MIC after consulting various leaders, NGOs and academicians. Among others, Najib pledged RM40 million for higher education assistance, a RM500 million fund for entrepreneurs and RM500 million under Permodalan Nasional Bhd targeting the bottom 40 percent income group (B40) from the Indian community.

For National Indian Rights Action Team (Niat) chairperson Thasleem Mohd Ibrahim, the MIB and Najib's promise to the Indian community are a case of déjà vu...