During the Prime Minister’s Question Time (PMQT) at the Dewan Rakyat, YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced new initiatives worth RM40 million across four programmes, raising MITRA’s total approved allocation to RM62.28 million as of August 15, 2025 — representing 62.3 per cent of the RM100 million allocated for this year.
A total of RM5 million has been allocated to upgrade ICT laboratory facilities in 50 Tamil national-type schools (SJKT), providing students with more interactive learning opportunities that keep pace with today’s technological advancements.
With this allocation, the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA) will distribute refurbished laptops to Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) schools. Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, YB Dato’ Seri R. Ramanan, has stood by the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit’s (MITRA) decision to provide refurbished laptops to Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) students, explaining that the move was made in line with the financial resources currently at their disposal.
He explained that supplying brand-new laptops would involve significantly higher costs and could hinder the rollout of other programmes. He added that MITRA’s monitoring reports indicated the initiative has already brought positive benefits to students, teachers, and school administrators.
“Why provide brand-new laptops? This is MITRA; we are not the Education Ministry, the Communications Ministry, or the Digital Ministry. We must act within reason.
If we were to supply new laptops, it would consume a large portion of the funds, and in doing so, how would we be able to implement other programmes?” he said during a press conference in Parliament yesterday. He was responding to claims from certain parties that the laptops distributed under MITRA’s assistance programme were refurbished and did not provide any real benefit to SJKT students.
He was responding to claims from certain parties that the laptops distributed under MITRA’s assistance programme were refurbished and did not provide any real benefit to SJKT students.
Ramanan, who previously served as MITRA chairman, explained that all the laptops were supplied by Google under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, with 6,000 units distributed to 520 SJKTs to date.
“They all come with warranties, and surveys conducted so far indicate that school administrators and teachers have seen positive results from the programme. Any complaints raised by the schools have been addressed promptly by the supplier,” he said.
MITRA’s laptop assistance programme, introduced in 2023, aims to better equip SJKT students for 21st-century learning while helping to narrow the digital gap between rural and urban schools.
In essence, the initiatives under MITRA, including the refurbished laptop distribution and ICT upgrades, reflect the government’s broader commitment to strengthening education and reducing inequalities within the Indian community. Despite criticism, Ramanan has reiterated that the programmes are designed with available resources in mind and have already shown positive impact on students and schools. As MITRA continues its efforts, the focus remains on ensuring that Tamil school students are better equipped to thrive in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven learning environment.
Source: Bernama
