Ex-Jasa staffer defends move to join Bersatu

Having served in the former Special Affairs Department (Jasa) for 14 years, Alditya Aladdin believes that its role was often "misinterpreted" as a propaganda arm of the BN administration.

Alditya, who earlier submitted his registration form to join Bersatu, told reporters today that he foresees no problems in supporting the policies of the present Pakatan Harapan government.

"A lot of people misinterpreted (Jasa). Jasa's real function is to help sell policies of the government.

"Jasa was founded during Dr Mahathir Mohamad's time as (fourth) prime minister. I myself worked under three prime ministers.

"Each has their own journey, but we (Jasa staff) are loyal to the government of the day," he said.

Alditya, who served in Jasa until it was disbanded last September, said it was up to the country's leaders to determine the functions of the department.

"'Not everything we did was about politics," he said, adding that he was involved in various community engagement programmes to promote the policies of the then-BN government.

Alditya, along with 59 other ex-Jasa staff from Selangor, handed over their application forms to Bersatu supreme council member Abu Bakar Yahya today in a function held at the Intekma Hotel in Shah Alam.

Under former premier Najib Abdul Razak, Jasa was led by former Umno supreme council member Mohd Puad Zakarshi and Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz.

Then-opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan had often criticised Jasa for being little more than a BN propaganda unit.

According to PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli, the federal government's expenditure document shows that Jasa had 272 staffers, of which approximately half were political appointees.

The department was eventually disbanded shortly after Harapan assumed federal power last May. -Mkini