KUALA LUMPUR: The Community Communications Department (J-KOM) will remain under the Prime Minister's Department, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching said the government has no plans to place the department back under the ministry. This, she said as the department was removed from the ministry and placed under the Prime Minister's Department in 2021.
"The decision was made when Pagoh (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) was the prime minister and Indera Mahkota (Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah) was the then communication minister. "I am not sure what was discussed in the cabinet back then.
"For now, the unity government decides that J-KOM remains under the Prime Minister's Department."If in the future, the prime minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) wishes to move J-KOM back to the Communications and Digital Ministry, we will adhere to the instruction," she said in response to Lim Lip Eng (PH-Kepong).
Lim in his supplementary question asked if J-KOM should be placed under the ministry to prevent wastage of public funds, as well as to prevent overlapping of duties. Previously, Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan (PN-Tasek Gelugor) urged the J-KOM to be placed under the ministry.
Wan Saiful said this after the agency, which is placed under the Prime Minister's Department, was seen as less effective in conveying information to the public. Besides that, Wan Saiful said it even caused some controversy involving its top leadership.
