Exposed: Federal Govt is Umno propaganda unit

Taxpayers funds and federal civil servants produced this Barisan Nasional propaganda sheet under a federal government imprint

• Govt booklet outlines campaign against Pakatan Rakyat
• Umno politician and brother of ex-IGP Musa Hassan in charge
• Dept also gives backing for Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan

 uppercaise

A propaganda booklet produced by the Federal Government, exposed by Malaysiakini on Saturday, provides further evidence of how Umno politicians and civil servants use taxpayer funds and facilities to serve their own personal and party ends.

Taxpayers funds and federal civil servants produced this Barisan Nasional propaganda sheet under a federal government imprint

Called Panduan Penjelasan Isu Semasa, or a guidebook to current affairs, it was produced by JASA (Jabatan Hal Ehwal Khas) or “Special Affairs Department” — in political terms, that usually means “dirty tricks department”.

JASA kotor – the anti-Bersih campaign

The booklet contains talking points on 44 issues, all of which have been raised by Pakatan Rakyat against Umno, or which the public has raised against the government. These include: Bersih’s demands for election reforms, the death of Teoh Beng Hock while at MACC headquarters, the public listing of Felda, the Internal Security Act, Dong Zong (the Chinese education coalition), Pakatan Rakyat’s Buku Jingga, and other issues.

The Bersih public rally for electoral reforms are attacked in one chapter with a headline that repeats a slogan used by the Information Minister Rais Yatim at the time the rally was held.

Even though the guidebook is an official federal publication, and bears the federation coat-of-arms, it makes no attempt to keep the federal government out of party politics.

Umno dirty tricks by the Information Ministry

In fact, it explicitly names Pakatan Rakyat, Anwar Ibrahim, and the Pakatan’s policy document Buku Jingga, as targets of criticism.

The explanation of Bersih and its objectives are a blatant Umno attack on Pakatan Rakyat — even though the document is an official federal government publication. It bears the federation coat-of-arms, and the taxpayer (among whom are DAP, PAS and PKR members as well as ordinary civilians) would have every right to expect his government to show neutrality in the contention between political parties.

But Umno long ago abandoned any principles it may have had (if ever). For example, western political philosophies are highlighted for criticism — and no wonder: civil service neutrality is one of the basic principles of a functioning parliamentary democracy.

Malaysiakini editor Fathi Aris Omar wrote on Saturday that the recent propaganda attacks on Malaysiakini by the government and Umno politician had been part of the campaign outlined in the information ministry guidebook.

International financier and philanthropist George Soros, his alleged links to Zionism, and his links to Anwar Ibrahim were specifically mentioned in the guidebook.

JASA is headed by former Umno politician Fuad Hassan — the younger brother of retired Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan.

Fuad was a two-term Selangor assemblyman for Hulu Kelang until defeated in 1999 by Azmin Ali, currently deputy president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and MP for Gombak.

Besides having produced the guidebook, JASA also held an exhibition at Umno Kuala Pilah’s delegates meeting on Sept 22 — the division is headed by Umno’s information chief Ahmad Maslan, who is a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Federal government Information Ministry or Umno propaganda division?

It is another example of how Umno politicians, with the connivance of the civil service, has converted the federal government administrative machinery into an extension of the party.

They don’t believe in democracy: blatant use of federal arms for Umno’s purposes

Such is Umno’s arrogance that the party no longer hides the fact that it uses federal taxpayer funds and facilities. As the Information Ministry booklet shows, Umno makes no attempt at keeping party and government separate. As far as Umno is concerned, the government is the enforcement arm of the party.

That’s exactly how things are done in China under the Chinese Communist Party.

Proof that Umno is fascist

Although Umno claims to uphold parliamentary democracy — the propaganda guidebook explicitly shows that it is against western political values, by implication against free speech, free press and freedom of thought.

It is only in communist and fascist countries that party and government are one.

Umno has been little different.

It might as well come out openly to say that democracy is not part of its philosophy or ideology, that it is a fascist party, that communist ways and practices are closer to its heart.

Just a bunch of cheap, greedy and corrupt fascists: in thought and deed, that is how they have portrayed themselves.