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PETALING JAYA: The former director general of the Department of Special Affairs (JASA) has criticized the allocation of 85.5 million ringgit to the agency within the framework of the national budget presented in the Dewan Rakyat last Friday.
Puad Zarkashi, who is a member of the Umno Supreme Council, said that Putrajaya did not need to apologize or become defensive about JASA, adding that the agency served to disseminate information and was used for strategic communications.
“It will continue to be linked to politics. The problem here is that the allocation of RM 85.5 million for JASA is too large.
“That allocation is not sensitive to (country’s) ‘priority’ as we face a third wave of Covid-19 infections,” he said in a Facebook post.
Puad served as JASA’s CEO from March 2015 to April 2018, before the agency was closed in May 2018 after Pakatan Harapan (PH) took office.
The former Barisan Nasional (BN) government had allocated RM30 million for the department in the 2018 budget.
“The department does not need such a large allocation, since the most important thing is the effectiveness of JASA. Unless the funds are earmarked for other reasons, ”Puad said of the allocation for next year.
He questioned Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah’s defense of the big assignment, after Saifuddin said it will also be used for hiring more staff.
“Will these funds be used to strengthen the PPBM machinery or to sponsor certain political portals, given that social media is likely to be the main tool for campaigning due to the new POEs for the elections?
“So, it is better that the government make amendments (to the budget) before it is approved. Follow the 2018 (allocation) ceiling or lower it a bit, ”said Puad.
On Saturday, Umno leaders, including its vice president Khaled Nordin, also raised questions about the allocation of 85.5 million ringgit for Jasa and urged Putrajaya to justify spending such a large amount of money when funding should focus on Covid-19.
