PMO denies daily briefings will make Fahmi lame duck

Summary

• The Prime Minister’s Office denies that its daily briefings overlap with Fahmi Fadzil's role as government spokesperson.

• Senior press secretary Tunku Nashrul Abaidah says the PMO briefings are to update on Anwar Ibrahim's daily duties and instructions.

• Fahmi's role will be to clarify government policies and give updates on cabinet decisions.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has refuted allegations that its daily briefings would render Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil a lame duck.

Instead, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's senior press secretary Tunku Nashrul Abaidah said the daily briefings are complementary to Fahmi's (above) duties as the government spokesperson.

"The daily PMO briefing focuses on daily developments and the prime minister's tasks, his explanations on pressing current issues, as well as instructions to ministries and agencies to ensure that government policies are implemented in an orderly and effective manner.

"Fahmi's role as the Madani government's spokesperson is to explain issues and questions regarding government policies, as well as decisions made by the cabinet,” Nashrul said in the first-ever briefing this morning.

He added that the more comprehensive strategy would ensure the public gets accurate information while also quickly and effectively debunking slander and disinformation.

The briefing will be aired live on social media at 11am and 5pm daily, without participation from the press.

The announcement that the PMO would be holding the daily briefings had prompted criticism, with some calling for Fahmi to be sacked if the latter was not going to do anything.

It remains unclear whether the PMO briefings would supersede the role of the Community Communications Department (J-Kom).

On Jan 18, the newly appointed J-Kom director-general Ismail Yusop said his department will take constructive measures to ensure accurate information reaches the people while taking a harder stance against fake news.

PM’s stand on PSC, local white rice issues

In today's briefing, Nashrul reiterated Anwar's stance that the Parliament Services Bill due to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow will help ensure Parliament can operate independently.

The senior press secretary also assured that Anwar was keeping a close eye on the local rice supply situation and that the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has been ordered to hasten recovery efforts and to give periodic updates to the public.

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