Maintaining ex-senator Zainuddin Maidin in government is a "gross waste" of public funds, an opposition politician charged today.

DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang said that since the former deputy information minister's job was to be the "hatchet man of BN in its propaganda war against the opposition, he should not be paid from the public purse."

Zainudin's position as senator automatically ended today following his completion of two terms in the Senate, but he was re-appointed into the Information Ministry as media advisor, also effective today.

No one will object, said Lim, if Zainuddin was hired as media advisor to Umno or Barisan Nasional, since this would be "the proper way for the BN to use and pay for his expertise".

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must realise that his pledge against political corruption goes in hand with making clear that distinction between the government and the ruling party, Lim added.

Under heavy fire

Zainuddin was strongly criticised in the past by opposition parties for using state-owned RTM to run anti-opposition 'documentaries' and 'news' segments often seen as hitting 'below-the-belt'.

In 2002, a number of anti-opposition messages were played over two RTM channels, including one 90-minute clip in January, just prior to the Indera Kayangan state by-election, which attempted to equate PAS leaders to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The same year also saw a controversial 30-minute 'documentary' of the 1986 bloody clash in Memali between followers of PAS member Ibrahim Libya and police, slotted in between an RTM news broadcast.

Other opposition leaders targeted by the state channels included PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, PAS central committee member Muhamad Sabu, the late PAS Kelantan information chief Bunyamin Yaacob, and PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat.