KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat today approved a motion to reduce the controversial RM85.5 million allocation proposed in the 2021 Budget for the revival of the Special Affairs Department (Jasa), which has been re-branded as the Department of Community Communications (J-KOM).
The allocation is now reduced to RM40 million.
Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun announced the decision after receiving a majority "yes" from members of Parliament who voted in favour of the motion via voice voting.
The motion to reduce the allocation for the revival of Jasa was tabled by Deputy Finance Minister 1 Datuk Abd Rahim Bakri.
During the debate on the motion, Khalid Abd Samad (Pakatan Harapan – Shah Alam) described the amendment for the allocation proposed for the revival of Jasa as "too little, too late".
"The fact is that Jasa should not exist. During the previous Pakatan Harapan administration, we had closed down Jasa.
"This is because everyone is aware that Jasa is a political tool. This fact was also admitted by an Umno leader, (Datuk) Mohd Puad Zarkarshi, who is the former chairman of Jasa," he said.
Khalid insisted that the allocation for Jasa should instead be channeled to boost efforts by the government to fight the spread of Covid-19.
Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (Barisan Nasional – Arau) said he was disappointed with the motion by the deputy finance minister to reduce the allocation.
"In 2015, a total of RM74 million was allocated for Jasa, followed by RM70 million in 2016 and RM76 million in 2017.
"The department was disbanded under the 'Gagal-krasi' (Pakatan Harapan) government.
"We know that for almost two years, the (previous PH) government had failed to deliver the correct information. This subsequently led to the spread of fake news, political chaos and misleading the people since there is no department that can channel the truth," he said.
Other MPs who participated in the debate on the motion included Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (Pas - Pasir Puteh) and Chang Lih Kang ( PH – Tanjong Malim).
