PUTRAJAYA, Oct 15 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has opened an investigation paper on allegations of misuse of funds under the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra).

"A thorough investigation will be carried out. We will be looking at various angles including the approval process and how the individual associations or companies which received the funds spent the money, to identify any form of corruption, abuse of power and irregularities,” said the MACC in a statement today.

Last Thursday, Klang MP Charles Santiago had asked the Minister of National Unity, Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique to explain where funds amounting to RM9.1 million from Mitra were spent.

On Oct 9, Halimah was reported to have said the National Unity Ministry is prepared to fully cooperate with MACC over the issue of Mitra financial grants which had gone viral.

According to Halimah, neither the Minister nor the director-general had played any role in the approval of the Mitra grants which is under the full control of the Mitra Grant Evaluation Committee chaired by the secretary-general of the ministry

MACC in its statement today said it had also received a report from the ‘Gen Z Youth’ regarding the Mitra funds issue at the MACC headquarters, and that it would study and review the report. — Bernama