KUALA LUMPUR, PETALING JAYA, Malaysia and SINGAPORE, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The light of hope this Deepavali will be shared with the Indian community as the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) mobilises the distribution of 22,000 contributions of daily essential items to Indian families in need nationwide through the MADANI Daily Essentials Contribution Programme.
(From left) Datuk Haji Ayop bin Salleh, Executive Director of NIOSH; Datuk Mohamed Shamir bin Abdul Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of HRD Corp; Puan Biruntha Mooruthi, Group Chief Executive Officer of TalentCorp; Dr. Haji Mohd Shaharin bin Umar, Deputy Secretary-General (Policy and International) of the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA); YB Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, Deputy Minister of Human Resources; YB Dato’ Sri Ramanan Ramakrishnan, Minister of Human Resources; Datuk Haji Azman bin Mohd Yusof, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA); Tuan Raveendran Nair a/l K. Kesavan Nair, Director-General of MITRA; Tuan Haji Abdul Rahim bin Ahmad Kasdi, Political Secretary to the Chief Minister (Menteri Besar) of Selangor; and Dato’ Sri Dr. Mohammed Azman bin Aziz Mohammed, Group Chief Executive Officer of SOCSO (PERKESO).
The initiative reflects KESUMA’s commitment to bringing festive cheer to communities, particularly families facing financial constraints, while helping to ease their expenses ahead of Deepavali.
The Minister of Human Resources, YB Dato’ Sri Ramanan Ramakrishnan, today officiated the flag-off of the MADANI Food Basket Contribution Programme convoy in conjunction with Deepavali. The programme is implemented in collaboration with five agencies under KESUMA: Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp), Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), Skills Development Fund Corporation (PTPK) and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
YB Dato’ Sri Ramanan said Deepavali, which symbolises the triumph of light over darkness, carries a message of hope, love and the importance of caring for the well-being of others.
“As we prepare to celebrate Deepavali, there are families who may be wondering how they will provide basic necessities for their children and loved ones.
“Through these contributions, we hope to ease some of their burden so that parents can prepare for the celebrations with greater peace of mind and children can also experience the joy of the festive season. This is the spirit of Ihsan MADANI that we want to translate into action,” he said.
The implementation of the programme also demonstrates the close collaboration among agencies under KESUMA in mobilising resources and personnel to ensure assistance reaches families in need.
According to YB Dato’ Sri Ramanan, efforts to help the people must continue through a comprehensive approach, including providing opportunities for them to increase their income and build better lives.
“KESUMA will continue to play its role in creating employment opportunities, enhancing skills and helping people improve their standard of living. At the same time, we want to be a ministry that remains close to the people, understands their needs and is present when they require support.
“We want every initiative undertaken to deliver benefits that can be felt by the community. This Deepavali, we hope these contributions will bring some relief, joy and hope to the families receiving them,” he said.
The MADANI Food Basket Contribution Programme reflects the continued commitment of KESUMA and its agencies to supporting communities through initiatives that deliver direct benefits, while fostering unity, compassion and togetherness among Malaysians.