Govt revives Jasa propaganda unit with RM85.5m budget

UPDATED 10.00PM | BUDGET 2021 | The Perikatan Nasional government will revive the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) propaganda unit with a RM85.5 million allocation under Budget 2021.

According to the estimated federal expenditure, there are two allocations for the unit under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry's budget.

The first is RM4 million parked under the strategic communications budget and the second, a further RM81.5 million allocated under new policies.

The RM85.5 million allocated is a 185 percent increase from the RM30 million allocated to Jasa by the BN government under Budget 2018.

The matter was raised by Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi on Twitter today as the 2021 Budget was being tabled.

She pointed out that currently, only 52 positions are listed under Jasa in the expenditure estimate, compared to 272 in 2018.

"Actually I want to congratulate (Communications and Multimedia Minister) Saifuddin Abdullah because he creates high paying jobs under the new Jasa compared to the old one under BN.

"I hope the jobs are actually high-tech with (Industrial Revolution 4.0) since the amount of allocation on service and supply is quite high," Wong said.

Jasa was disbanded after Pakatan Harapan won the 2018 general election as part of a cost-cutting exercise.

Year-on-year, the total allocation for the Communications and Multimedia Ministry also increased by RM442 million, from RM1.95 billion this year to RM2.39 billion in 2021.

Meanwhile, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman said the allocation dwarfs the amount of money allocated to restoring dilapidated schools (RM58 million) and mental healthcare (RM24 million).

"Jasa has been revived. Prepare for a rain of cybertroopers," he quipped on Twitter.

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