The Albanese government has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that it provided more than $68,000 in funding to Melbourne’s My Centre, News24 reported, after UAE prosecutors linked the centre to allegations involving the Flydubai pilot from the recent highjacking incident.
Grant Connect records show the money went to the centre’s registered entity, Multicultural Youth Centre Ltd, News24 reported on Sunday 11 October.
Specifically, the My Centre funding came from the Community Language Schools Grants Program, which aims to help young people learn or maintain languages other than English.
The initial grant of $36,960 won approval on 19 March 2024. Later, a variation added $31,176.20 and extended the grant to 19 December 2028, according to the records.
Questions about the My Centre funding arose because UAE prosecutors allege the co-pilot met people linked to the organisation in Melbourne in 2017.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told News24 he did not have more information on the My Centre funding. Even so, he called it “a reasonable question”.
“It is really important that we use every lever we have to be able to make sure that we are denying oxygen to people who want to do us harm,” Burke said.
A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said the department runs due diligence checks on eligibility. When someone raises allegations about a grant recipient, the department tests the information, the spokesperson said.
Allegations against Flydubai co-pilot
UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi alleged that Hamam al-Hammami tried to seize a flydubai flight on 30 September. His aim was to crash it into Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, al-Shamsi said.
Prosecutors also allege the 29-year-old Omani national attacked the captain, Smit Machchhar, with the cockpit crash axe. Passengers then overpowered him.
Al-Shamsi said the man gave a detailed confession after his arrest. Signs of his “drift towards extremism and terrorism first emerged in 2017, while he was studying in Australia”, he said, as the ABC reported.
According to the UAE account, al-Hammami regularly attended a mosque affiliated with RMIT. Through those visits, he became acquainted with people associated with My Centre, Emirates News Agency reported.
He said a Lebanese man known as Abu Hamza managed the centre, the agency reported.
News24 identified the centre’s leader as Samir Mohtadi, known as Sheik Abu Hamza. However, the outlet said it did not suggest any link between al-Hammami and Mohtadi.
Nor did it suggest that radicalisation took place at My Centre, News24 said.
Previously, Greek City Times reported that the Australian Federal Police was investigating the co-pilot’s time in Australia.
Sermons and grant data
My Centre describes itself as a charity supporting young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. Its entity has operated since 2010, according to the Australian Business Register.
Mohtadi drew national attention in 2025 after The Australian reported on sermons in which he made inflammatory remarks about Israel. In one, he prayed for victory for “our mujahideen (fighters) in Palestine”, News24 reported.
The My Centre funding story also follows a News24 analysis of GrantConnect data that One Nation supplied.
That analysis found seats Labor held at the time received $340.3 million of $385.9 million in “multiculturalism” grants. By comparison, Coalition-held seats received $10.9 million.
Those figures cover the years from 2022–23 to 2025–26, according to the analysis.
The News24 report did not include a response from My Centre. Burke said he would be able to find out more about the My Centre funding.
(Source: News24)
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