The propaganda fiasco of Umno on Memali clearly shows that there is an urgent need for the government to disband or at least downsize the Information Ministry and RTM. There is no efficiency or effectiveness even to sell Umno, what then is the use of the ministry and RTM? Look at Indonesia, which has done away with its Information Ministry.

Moreover, we have the Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry to cater for more relevant and genuine needs of the nation. The Information Ministry and RTM as they are now seem to be a welfare home for the losers in the new economy, like old media practitioners and autocratic politicians. It is a pure waste of taxpayers' money to employ these outdated personnel.

For a start, the government should consider abolishing the post of the ministry's parliamentary secretary with immediate effect. It should then re-train the middle-aged script writers and copy-writers for marketable skills before retrenching them. Those generalist graduates in Malay studies and local history in their 50s or above should be retired off earlier.