The Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA) has allocated RM25 million this year to support 12,400 Indian B40 students under the MITRA IPT Admission Assistance Program (IPT 4.0). According to MITRA Chairman P. Prabakaran, the initiative has already received 12,626 applications from Indian students across the nation, with the screening process currently in progress.
He mentioned that 1,088 eligible students will receive assistance under the MITRA IPT 4.0 program in the first phase next week.
The beneficiaries in the first phase will receive a one-time payment of RM2,000, and RM3,000 for students with disabilities (OKU), which will be disbursed through Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) starting next week.
“It is MITRA’s responsibility to ensure that this financial assistance reaches those who truly deserve it. During the screening process, it was found that many of the documents submitted by students were incomplete, not sufficiently authentic, and raised concerns,” he said.
Prabakaran, who is also the Member of Parliament for Batu, added that MITRA is currently cross-checking data with the relevant higher education institutions (IPTs) and verifying the B40 status of applicants.
He explained that some of the issues causing delays in processing applications include students failing to provide their Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) account numbers, lacking proof of Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR), eKasih, or Mysalam documents, missing verified payslips from parents, and not submitting confirmation letters from universities. They are aware of these constraints and difficulties, and the process of disbursing financial assistance to 2024 IPT students will be conducted in stages, beginning in December 2024 and continuing until it is completed.
“Furthermore, the list of eligible students for the next phase will be announced gradually through MITRA’s social media platforms,” he said.
At the same time, Prabakaran also noted that only 30 applications have been received for MITRA’s Special Full and Partial Scholarship Sponsorship Programme for Medical Studies, which was announced last week. The application period for the scholarship is open from December 11th to tomorrow, December 17th, 2024. With just one day left before the deadline, MITRA has received only 30 applications for the program.
Prabakaran expressed his disappointment at the low number of applications submitted. He emphasized that this initiative was introduced to support medical students from the Indian B40 community. He urged Indian students to take advantage of this opportunity and encouraged those who have not yet submitted their applications to do so before the deadline.
This initiative is a joint effort between MITRA and Perdana University. Indian students who have completed the Matriculation Programme or Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) in the 2023/2024 academic year and wish to pursue a career in medicine are invited to apply. To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must be Science stream students with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of above 3.50.
Source: RTM TV Tamilseithi, Malaysia Gazette
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