Unmoved by promised budget cut, MP submits motion to slash all Jasa funds

 

Tuaran MP Wilfred Madius Tangau has submitted a motion to slash the entire budget for the Special Affairs Department (Jasa).

This was despite the government's promise to reduce the agency's funding to an unspecified amount.

"I take this step to ensure that Jasa or whatever the agency will be named, will be abolished completely," Madius said in a statement today.

He said he submitted the motion to the Dewan Rakyat yesterday morning.

Madius hoped that the speaker will allow him to table the motion during the committee stage of the budget debate next week.

Originally, the federal government had planned to allocate RM85.5 million to Jasa.

The department under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry had often been criticised as a propaganda unit. The previous Pakatan Harapan administration had disbanded the outfit.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah had previously told Parliament that Jasa would not be used for propaganda purposes.

He said Jasa would be rebranded as "Jabatan Komunikasi Komuniti" (J-kom) and be used for "two-way" communication between the government and grassroots. - Mkini