800 to lose jobs when propaganda unit axed next month

Andrew Chin Andrew Chin Updated 5 years ago · Published on 20 Sep 2018 7:00AM · 11 Comments

The Najib Razak administration deployed the Special Affairs Department to ensure that Barisan Nasional remained in power. – EPA pic, September 20, 2018.

PUTRAJAYA will shut down a controversial propaganda unit used by the previous Barisan Nasional government next month, putting 800 contract workers out of their jobs, said its director, Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz.

The Special Affairs Department (Jasa) will be dissolved on October 15. About 800 contract workers will be retrenched while 300 civil servants transferred back to the Public Service Department (PSD) and eventually redeployed.

Tun Faisal criticised the exercise and told The Malaysian Insight that the 800 contract workers were not political appointees and should not be victimised.

“If the new government wants to transfer political appointees out, this I can understand and there would not be a problem.

“But not all Jasa staff were political appointees.”

After winning federal power in the 14th general election, the Pakatan Harapan government announced that the public sector will undergo a downsizing exercise as part of its plan to cut spending.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his first cabinet meeting in May listed the agencies which will be dissolved as a start.

They included Jasa and the National Council of Professors.

He also announced the downsizing exercise of the public sector involving 17,000 contract officers.

Mohd Puad Zarkashi quit as the director-general of Jasa when he was not given a seat to contest at the last elections. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, September 20, 2018.

The contract staff at Jasa will bear the brunt of this exercise as the 300-odd civil servants will be transferred back to the PSD, Tun Faisal said.

Most of the contract staff only earn between RM2,000 and RM4,000 depending on their rank and to make them unemployed would be harsh, he said.

Tun Faisal also described the dissolution of Jasa unwise, as the department played a vital role gathering feedback from the ground and explaining government policies to the people.

The department, better known under its Malay acronym of Jasa, has been accused by critics of being a propaganda unit used to attack opposition leaders. It operated within the Communications and Multimedia Ministry.

In Budget 2018, the unit was allocated RM30 million, up from RM22.9 million in 2017, as part of an enlarged RM603 million allocation to the ministry for this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had questioned why the director-general of Jasa was paid more than RM20,000 when the minister only made more than RM14,000.

The last director-general, Mohd Puad Zarkashi, quit the post when he was dropped from contesting GE14. He is the Umno Batu Pahat division chief. – September 20, 2018.

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Comments

  • Woooooii Faisal...who do you think you are to advise the PH government on what to do and not. Just get lost. Its because of idiots like you that the country is in so much trouble & burden.

    If you want you hire them laa idiot and pay using your own money. Useless human being.

    Posted 5 years ago by Hantoo Blacklord · Reply

    • This Faisal....a self awarded Tun.

      Posted 5 years ago by Azis Yusoff · Reply

  • Agreed with Blacklord. Taxes paid by hardworking Rakyat must not be wasted on a bunch of idiots who are dirty bootlickers. Nothing constructive.

    Posted 5 years ago by Concerned Citizen · Reply

    • Such governments often hire some quite clever and hardworking people to keep themselves in power.

      Posted 5 years ago by Don Frazer · Reply

  • And what do you suggest that we do for the 800, Faisal? Redeploy then to various jabatan kerajaan, to hog the already congested and inefficient civil service? So that these chaps could be stationed within units that they may no skill at all, other than making up the napoleon headcount?
    And you want to use taxpayers monies for that?

    Posted 5 years ago by Rock Hensem · Reply

  • First put Faisal, the JASA director in cold storage. He has done more damage than the underlings. Transfer him to where he can't cause much trouble, like the dog wing of the Royal Malaysia Police.

    Posted 5 years ago by Simple Sulaiman · Reply

  • Perhaps they can then look for jobs that will actually contribute towards the nation's economy?

    Posted 5 years ago by Yoon Kok · Reply

  • Faisal shld himself employ them if he feels so strongly

    Posted 5 years ago by Lin Chua · Reply

  • Twitter is just as effective, actually more transparent...

    Posted 5 years ago by Leanburn Leanburn · Reply

  • Go look for your x boss has lots of money or be thief your x boss is or go find a real job n make better then on, choice yours.

    Posted 5 years ago by Danial Abdullah · Reply

  • Faisal n Lokman are Racist Idiots of the highest degree Pls Both of U ROT IN HELL

    Posted 5 years ago by Tharan Singh · Reply