PARLIAMENT | The National Audit Department has been asked to audit the government allocation for the socio-economic development of the Indian community under the Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB) to determine how much has actually reached the community.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator P Waytha Moorthy said, even though the previous government proposed many development programmes to help the Indian community through the action plan, not all the provisions had reached the people.

“Therefore, the new government has instructed the audit department to find out the truth regarding the actual amount that had reached the people,” he said.

He was responding to a supplementary question from C Sivarraajh (BN-Cameron Highlands) on the agenda and plans of the Pakatan Harapan government in ensuring the socio-economic development of the Indian community during a question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

According to Waytha Moorthy, the department had initiated an audit on the Socio-Economic Development Unit for the Indian Community (Sedic), on Sept 26.

To a question from M Karupaiya (Harapan-Padang Serai), the minister said the government had spent more than RM203.7 million for the development of the Indian community from 2014 to 2017.

He said through the 2019 Budget allocation, the Harapan government has planned various agendas to improve the socio-economic status of the Indians, including empowering women, continuing the participation of the B40 group in the national development agenda, and promoting home ownership.

-- Bernama