PM Anwar Scheduled To Announce New MITRA Initiative For Indian Community Tomorrow
Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Seri R Ramanan confirmed the matter during the wind-up session on the debate on the motion of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) at the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said the new initiatives would have a bigger impact on the socio-economic development of the Indian community and ensure they continue to be supported and will benefit from national development.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
HR Minister Unlocks RM2 Bln Levy Fund For Graduate Hiring As Merdeka Gift For Employers
BUSINESS PETALING JAYA, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong has announced that employers can utilise up to RM2 billion from the human resources development (HRD) levy fund to hire Malaysian graduates beginning Sept 1, 2025. 'As a Merdeka gift, I am unlocking up to RM2 billion in the HRD levy fund for you to hire Malaysian graduates beginning Sept 1, 2025. You will now be able to use your levy money to pay the salary of your workers if they are university graduates or TVET graduates,' he said in his speech at the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) Annual Dinner 2025 here today. Also present were Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, FMM president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai and FMM deputy president Lee Chor Kok. Sim highlighted that the initiative would not only help employers improve cashflow, but also place a greater premium on human capital, create more higher-paying jobs and provide on-the-job training for graduates. He also reminded industry players not to overlook human capital while chasing technology-driven productivity, especially with artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly reshaping industries. 'This confirmed our instinctive suspicion for the past few years. AI replaces conventional academic-trained personnel… this will dent the signalling value of an academic degree in the future,' he said. The minister highlighted that Malaysia had already spent up to RM77.2 billion on digitalisation until the end of last year, while global tech players such as Google, Microsoft, Bytedance and Amazon have committed to invest over RM60 billion in the country. 'Through the National Semiconductor Strategy, Malaysia has also received RM46.5 billion in investments in high-tech, high-growth, high-value sectors such as wafer fabrication, AI chips and integrated circuit production,' he said. The dinner also marked the 57th anniversary of FMM.
Barnama
3 hours ago
- Barnama
Kelantan Has Potential To Become Major Local Onion Producer
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) is optimistic that Kelantan has the potential to become a major producer of local onions next year. Its minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, said the state's soil fertility was deemed suitable for onion cultivation and initial trials showed promising results. He said KPKM had approved an allocation of RM6 million for the Onion Cultivation Development Project in three states, namely Selangor, Perak and Kelantan, involving 80 participants with an area of 94.85 hectares (ha), which includes 11 farmers (40 ha) in Selangor, 52 farmers (26.85 ha) in Kelantan, and 17 farmers (28 ha) in Perak. Recently, Kelantan carried out its first harvest with an expected production yield of 18.4 tonnes from an area of 4.6 ha at the Telong Food Production Park (TKPM) in Bachok, which used the BAW-1 and BAW-2 varieties. "This harvest result shows a positive achievement as it recorded high production of around four tonnes per hectare, so Insya-Allah, next year we want Kelantan to become the main producer of this onion because its land is fertile for onion cultivation," he said when winding up the debate on the motion on the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) for KPKM in the Dewan Rakyat today. Regarding production costs, Mohamad explained that a comprehensive study has not yet been conducted to determine the actual cost comparison between local and imported onions. 'Regarding production costs, we still don't have precise figures. Some use the greenhouse method, which is quite expensive. Overall, the government has not yet finalised the production cost for one tonne of local onions. 'The cost also varies depending on whether it is grown outdoors or in a greenhouse. However, we see that the price gap with imported onions is not too wide," he said. He also said that although there are no official figures yet, the government expects local onion production to reduce dependence on onion imports by up to 30 per cent.
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Anwar: No nation is safe when racial hatred thrives
CYBERJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on Malaysians to reject attempts to incite racial hatred and not be swayed by those exploiting sensitive issues to divide national unity. Speaking at a town hall during the launch of Multimedia University's (MMU) Faculty of Artificial Intelligence and Engineering (FAIE), he reminded the audience that Malaysians must rise above destructive tendencies. "Remember, we are anak Malaysia who should love our country. "We must put an end to this destructive culture of corruption and racism, of inciting racial hatred, constant quarrelling, provoking and insulting religion or race. "This is not education. Education should lead us towards good and transformation," he said. He added that the country must be safeguarded against such elements, including bullying and abuse. Anwar said that Malaysia is a nation of laws with a firm legal system, and that violations would be dealt with regardless of a person's status or background. "This is a nation of laws with rules that must be respected. The National Unity Ministry exists because, to me, political stability is essential. "This country must also learn from others. Nowhere in the world has racial or religious hatred ever brought safety or stability," he said at the Temu Anwar programme. He was responding to a student's question on government efforts to strengthen unity and combat racism. "No country can remain safe if voices of racial or religious hatred are allowed to flourish. We must be firm in ensuring no one fans such divisions," he said. The prime minister also praised the maturity of today's youth in prioritising unity. "My outlook is very hopeful when I see young people today being positive and mature in their views on unity. But we must also recognise there are still groups trying to incite and distort facts," he added. Citing the death of student Zara Qairina Mahathir, Anwar again stressed that the government has never concealed facts or protected anyone. "If it involves murder or bullying, I don't care whose child it is — if a crime has been committed, we will investigate and prosecute," he said. Also present at the launch were Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir. MMU's new FAIE will feature state-of-the-art laboratories to foster creativity and collaboration between students, researchers and industry partners, ensuring graduates remain competitive in the digital economy. The faculty will introduce a new Bachelor of Science (Hons) (Applied AI) programme, a three-year full-time course beginning in July 2025. Existing engineering programmes will also be enhanced with AI components to equip students with advanced technological skills. Applied AI covers technologies such as machine learning and automation to address real-world challenges, including smart healthcare, autonomous vehicles, intelligent farming and personalised digital assistants.
