Najib says four-fold budget increase for Jasa 'unacceptable'
PARLIAMENT | Former premier Najib Razak said today that the four-fold increase in allocation under Budget 2021 to revive the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) propaganda unit was "unacceptable" and would court public anger.
The Pekan MP said this in his debate of the Supply Bill (Budget) 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
PARLIAMENT | Former premier Najib Abdul Razak (Umno-Pekan) said today that the four-fold increase in allocation under Budget 2021 to revive the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) propaganda unit was "unacceptable" and would court public anger.
He said this in his debate of the Supply Bill (Budget) 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
"In times of a crisis when allocations are more needed to save the people, the introduction of a four-fold increased allocation for Jasa compared to times under BN is hard to accept and has courted public anger.
"I can accept if the allocation is used to buy face masks or hand sanitiser for the people or given to parents as a replacement for their children's missed breakfasts under the Rancangan Makanan Tambahan scheme.
But I cannot accept the RM85.5 million proposed allocation for Jasa,'" he said.
Jasa was abolished during the Pakatan Harapan administration. During the BN era, it received annual allocations of between RM21 million and RM22 million from 2011 to 2018.
The RM85.5 million allocation to revive Jasa had sparked outcry both in the Dewan Rakyat and among ordinary Malaysians with its reputation as a government tool used to strengthen BN's political control during the coalition's administration.
The Communications and Multimedia Ministry has since defended the plan, stressing that Jasa won't be politically motivated. Bersatu has also assured that it wouldn't become a propaganda outfit like in the past.
Umno supreme council leader and former Jasa chief Puad Zarkashi, however, has said the department's operations were indeed politically motivated and there was nothing to be apologetic about it.
Puad, however, conceded that Jasa's revival had become a heated issue due to the quantum of its latest allocation which he proposed to be reduced to the amounts approved during BN's time.
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