SEBERANG Jaya assemblyman Afif Bahardin has denied rumours of his appointment as director-general of Putrajaya’s propaganda unit, the Special Affairs Department (Jasa).

The rumours began amid the government’s announcement of RM85.5 million in funding for the unit in Budget 2021, which was tabled yesterday.

Afif said posters circulating on social media congratulating him on the new position were false.

“Fake,” he told The Malaysian Insight in a text message.

The former Penang exco had been with PKR but was ejected in June after the party purged itself of members aligned with sacked former deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali, who later joined Bersatu and became a senior minister in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

Afif also joined Bersatu.

While with PKR, Afif had criticised the previous Barisan Nasional government for using public funds for Jasa, an outfit formed in 2000 and tasked with explaining government policies to the public.

It was later accused of establishing favourable narratives for the government through media platforms and organising community events to keep Barisan Nasional in power.

Pakatan Harapan dismantled the unit in 2018, after winning the general election.

Muhyiddin’s PN government has now revived Jasa under the purview of the Communications and Multimedia University.

With Afif’s denial, all eyes are waiting to see who will head Jasa, a position normally given to an Umno leader.

As it is, Umno is unhappy with Muhyiddin because he has repeatedly sidelined the once-dominant party over cabinet posts and positions in government-linked companies.

Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin was reported telling Free Malaysia Today that the funding to revive Jasa was because the PN government is weak.

He said the hefty amount must be explained or else it would appear that the government is weak and “needed a bigger loudspeaker”. – November 7, 2020.