Govt looking to reactivate Jasa - deputy minister

The government is planning to reactivate the now-defunct Special Affairs Department (Jasa), said Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin.

He was quoted by Bernama as saying that they are looking to rehire former staff of the propaganda unit.

“The ministry will hold interviews for new recruitment via a process outlined by the Public Service Commission and Public Service Department by prioritising former Jasa officers who lost their jobs when Pakatan Harapan took over the country’s administration,” he said.

Jasa was dissolved not long after Harapan came to power in 2018.

However, according to The Malaysian Insight, the Perikatan Nasional government had already set up a propaganda unit back in April, but it has not been activated yet.

Citing government sources, the portal reported that Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah had submitted a working paper to the cabinet in March which was immediately approved.

A budget of RM30 million was reportedly allocated, with RM20 million earmarked for operations.

However, the report said they faced a stumbling block as Budget 2020 did not have allocations for the unit.

“There are budgeting issues, maybe there needs to be a new budget. They are still using the budget Lim (Guan Eng, the former finance minister) tabled,” the government source said.

Earlier this week, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Zainul Abidin tabled a budget reallocation bill to accommodate the restructured cabinet. There was no additional funding tied to the bill.

No funding was also reallocated to the Communications and Multimedia Ministry.

However, Putrajaya has a practice of spending first and then seeking a supplementary budget the next year. - Mkini