PERIKATAN Nasional conceded to a demand to reduce the RM85.5 million allocated to its propaganda unit, minutes before Budget 2021 was put to the vote.

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz announced that funding was reduced for the Special Affairs Department (Jasa), saying the amendment would be made at the committee stage of the supply bill.

“I will move a motion to cut Jasa’s allocation at the committee stage…we will make an announcement,” he said in his winding up speech on Budget 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He did not specify the amount to be slashed.

The allocation for Jasa, which was abolished by the Pakatan Harapan government, was among the most controversial aspects of the budget tabled earlier this month.

Another concession was to open the EPF i-Sinar programme to more contributors and allow them to withdraw a lump sum of RM10,000 from Account 1 instead of in monthly instalments.

The government also acceded to the demand to extend the automatic moratorium on the repayment of bank loans for the B40 and M40 groups and small businesses.

On Jasa, Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah yesterday said the new incarnation would not serve as a government mouthpiece but would be renamed the Community Communication Department to focus on culture, digitisation and instilling patriotism. – November 26, 2020.