Former MIC President Subramaniam Conferred India's Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 (Bernama) -- Former MIC president and former minister Tan Sri Dr S. Subramaniam was conferred the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) 2025 by the Indian government on Jan 10.

The PBSA is the highest honour bestowed upon overseas Indians in recognition of their contributions in the field of politics.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Indian High Commission in Malaysia commended Dr Subramaniam for his outstanding contributions to the Indian community in Malaysia.

“He initiated the establishment of the Cabinet Committee for Indian Affairs, which laid the foundation for all subsequent interventions aimed at supporting the Indian community.

“Among the most significant initiatives were the MyDaftar and Mega MyDaftar campaigns, grassroots-level interventions designed to address the documentation issues faced by the Indian community,” the statement read.

The awardees were selected by a jury chaired by the Vice President of India, with assistance from the Minister of External Affairs and other representatives from various agencies.

Dr Subramaniam served as a minister from 2008 to 2018, holding the Human Resources and Health portfolios.

Under his leadership, administrative structures such as the Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) and Socioeconomic Development of Indian Community (SEDIC) (now known as MITRA) were created to address the education, welfare and socio-economic challenges of the Indian community.

-- BERNAMA