PH may reject Budget 2022 if J-Kom gets huge funding

 

Wong Chen says a big allocation for J-Kom will be a ‘deal breaker’, while Charles Santiago wonders whether there is a need for the department.

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan is likely to reject Budget 2022 if the government gives a large allocation to J-Kom, the controversial department for community communications.

Subang MP Wong Chen of PKR, who is involved in negotiations with Putrajaya on the budget, has told FMT that PH would consider a large allocation for J-Kom as a deal breaker.

He said PH saw the department as unnecessary and would ask for it to be dismantled and its officers absorbed into “more useful” departments.

Alternatively, he said, it could be allowed to continue operating but on a diminished budget of about RM3 million annually, adding that this was likely what the department would be spending this year.

“On the flip side, an expanded J-Kom budget for 2022, like that of 2021, will likely be a deal breaker,” he said.

“J-Kom was set up as some sort of propaganda department. Whether this is good or bad depends largely on the propaganda content it spouts.

“If there is proper parliamentary oversight and the messages aren’t politically biased, it can play a positive role in fostering harmony and nation building.

“But it must operate on a reasonable and smaller budget than 2021.”

In the 2021 budget, the department was initially allocated RM85.5 million but the amount was slashed to RM40.5 million after protests from opposition MPs.

Special functions minister Abdul Latiff Ahmad disclosed last week that the department had spent only RM2.18 million until Aug 26.

Of this amount, RM1.78 million was spent on emoluments, allowances and travel claims for 52 permanent employees and 35 MySTEP members.

MySTEP is a finance ministry programme to train and provide short-term placement for graduates.

Commenting on the low spending, Wong said it showed how inessential J-Kom was.

He said the bulk of the remaining funds had probably been diverted to programmes for fighting Covid-19.

Klang MP Charles Santiago has urged Putrajaya to review the need for J-Kom.

The DAP leader told FMT it would be better to spend the funds meant for it on areas that would generate jobs or to use the money to provide food for the needy.

He said J-Kom was basically a rebranded Jasa (special affairs department), involved in gathering intelligence and channelling information. He noted that there were ministries and agencies doing similar tasks.

“You have the police, the navy and other intelligence services to gather information or intelligence,” he said.

“You already have the communications and multimedia ministry that has its own J-Kom equivalent that reaches out to people and gathers information and feedback for the system.

“The roles of all agencies not contributing to the national recovery process have to be reviewed.” - FMT