The Hon. Ismail Muththu Mohamed

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I am pleased to join this debate on the Second Reading of the 2026 Budget.

¶ 02 This Budget is framed under the theme “Prosperous Country – Beautiful Life.” We commend Government actions against drug abuse and corruption. However, the benefits of this Budget must reach all people and uplift the lives of the poor. The 37 thematic initiatives proposed by His Excellency the President should be implemented in a way that benefits the public across the board. If development projects funded under the Budget are implemented on political considerations, then various problems and challenges will arise.

¶ 03 In 1990, the fascist LTTE expelled hundreds of thousands from the Northern Province; 35 years were marked on 26.10.2025. The suffering of those people was akin to what we see of the people of Gaza. Though all Tamil-speaking people suffered, Northern Muslims suffered greatly—around 120,000 people—economically, educationally, and in many ways. They lived as refugees for 15–20 years in other districts. Such a miserable life should not befall any other people.

¶ 04 This displacement left their livelihoods, education of their children, health, and economy gravely affected; today about 35 years have passed. For long periods they could not even visit their own lands. Of the 72 mosques in those areas, many were shut and fell into ruin. At the ceasefire media briefing, LTTE leader Prabhakaran and advisor Anton Balasingham publicly apologized. But does an apology alone remove their suffering? We ask this.

¶ 05 We welcome the President’s allocation of Rs. 5,000 million for housing for the internally displaced. But we are concerned whether, after 35 years, these housing projects will truly reach the affected. In recent schemes, those returning from abroad or India were prioritized, while locally displaced persons were sidelined. This must not recur.

¶ 06 Further, after 35 years, many lands have become like forests. The Forest Department and Wildlife Department, through special gazettes, have categorized them as forests, so when selecting beneficiaries, many are deemed landless. We have raised this repeatedly at our District and Divisional Coordinating Committees. The Deputy Minister Upali Samarasinghe, as District Coordinating Committee Chair, and Hon. MPs Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran and Dr. Thilakanathan, as Divisional Chairs, know these issues well. We rely on them; they have an even greater responsibility than us. Therefore, the Government must pay greater attention.

¶ 07 In our district, many projects remain half-done and are not funded in the 2026 Budget: school buildings, tanks, and housing schemes initiated by the previous Government are stalled. We kindly request allocations to complete them and attention to our region’s development.

¶ 08 In the recent past, under the guise of COVID, Muslim burials were banned and janazas were cremated; after the Easter attacks, falsehoods were heaped onto the Muslim community. There was a pattern of orchestrated reprisals. We believe such things will not occur under this Government.

¶ 09 Furthermore, imported copies of the Holy Al-Qur’an are reportedly being held without release by Customs. We request that such sacred texts be released without undue delay.

¶ 10 Thank you.