Funds For SEDCs In Five States Will Now Be Channelled Through Mara

IPOH, April 26 (Bernama)

The Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry will stop disbursing development funds to the state economic development corporations (SEDCs) in five states controlled by Pakatan Rakyat namely Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor. Its minister Datuk Noh Omar said the fund would now be channelled to Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara).

"From now onwards it will be given through Mara," he told reporters after opening the annual general meeting of the Perak chapter of the Malaysia Malay Chamber of Commerce here Saturday.

He said the disbursement of the fund was a long-held policy to help the people.

As the state governments controlled by the Pakatan Rakyat were hostile to the ministry, it was better for the fund to be disbursed through Mara, he added. Noh also said that the move by the Selangor and Perak state governments to impose rentals on training centres run by the ministry showed that they were not adopting people-friendly policies.

He said from August, the Sabak Bernam Giat Mara in Selangor which occupied 10 units of Sabak Bernam District Council's stalls would have to pay a monthly rental of RM1,500.

A skill training centre in Lahat near here would also have to pay rental soon.

There were no rentals prior to this, he said.

"We will pay the rent for the benefit of the trainees," he said, adding that the two state governments were thinking only in terms of profits without regards for the need to serve the people.