Jasa fellow Lokman Noor Adam has denied allegations that the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) is a BN tool and that its role is to defend the government of the day, which is the BN.

Lokman claimed that should opposition parties succeed in taking Putrajaya, Jasa would defend them instead.

"Actually Jasa responds to issues hurled at the government of the day. If PKR were to rule one day, then Jasa would defend the government of the day.

"It would be a different story if PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli abolishes Jasa," Lokman told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Yesterday, Rafizi suggested that Jasa be abolished as part of an effort to address the bloated civil service.

"These agencies, set up for political purposes, should be funded by BN and Umno, instead of the people. As such, Jasa should be the first department to go," he said in a statement.

Rafizi was responding to former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim, who proposed that the civil service be trimmed down before the financial burden becomes too heavy to bear.

However, Lokman, who is also the Finance Ministry's strategic communications director, doubted Rafizi's sincerity in making such a suggestion.

"Knowing PKR leaders, they only talk about change when they do not have power. When they are in power they will use Jasa to solidify PKR's position.

"Thankfully, they are not in power," he said.

Lokman also accused Rafizi of wanting to rid of Jasa so that his "lies" would not be countered.

"From time to time, Jasa counters Rafizi's slander. Not only does Jasa respond to Rafizi's claims, it also exposes him as a liar," he said.

Jasa, a department under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, is seen as a propaganda arm of the government. Often, it also ventures into topics related to partisan politics.