Former Jasa chief lauds plan to revive unit, says crucial to neutralise Opposition’s ‘lies’
Former director of Jasa, Datuk Puad Zarkashi. Puad had claimed that defending the government through Jasa has been a thankless job. — Picture via Facebook/ Puad Zarkashi
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Datuk Puad Zarkashi lauded today the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government’s plan to reactivate the Special Affairs Unit (Jasa), calling the department he once led a crucial platform to help the ruling coalition counter Opposition propaganda.
Puad was the former director at the unit set up under Barisan Nasional rule. The Umno supreme council member said Jasa had been effective in communicating the government’s messages and countering “false allegations” against the then administration.
Critics of BN previously saw the department as a propaganda unit. It was dissolved after Pakatan Harapan took power in 2018, which Puad claimed was an act of political vengeance spearheaded by the DAP.
“Reviving Jasa proves that the act of shutting it down was wrong and an act of vengeance,” Puad said in a text reply to Malay Mail.
“Its closure also proved that Jasa was an effective government machinery in communicating the messages ‘of the government of the day’ including responding to the lies and allegations by the Opposition, especially from the DAP,” he added.
The DAP, PH’s predominantly Chinese component member, was often the subject of Jasa’s past efforts. Its leaders claimed the intention was to tap on Malay insecurity and keep the ethnic majority suspicious of the opposition coalition.
The Communications and Multimedia Ministry said last month it has already begun efforts to reactivate Jasa that past government critics alleged had been a propaganda unit.
According to national news agency Bernama, Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin said his ministry was already rehiring former Jasa officers for this purpose.
Talks that Jasa could be reactivated has elicited concerns that the PN government would resort to the same scaremongering and racially divisive tactic.
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KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Datuk Puad Zarkashi lauded today the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government’s plan to reactivate the Special Affairs Unit (Jasa), calling the department he once led a crucial platform to help the ruling coalition counter Opposition propaganda.
Puad was the former director at the unit set up under Barisan Nasional rule. The Umno supreme council member said Jasa had been effective in communicating the government’s messages and countering “false allegations” against the then administration.
Critics of BN previously saw the department as a propaganda unit. It was dissolved after Pakatan Harapan took power in 2018, which Puad claimed was an act of political vengeance spearheaded by the DAP.
“Reviving Jasa proves that the act of shutting it down was wrong and an act of vengeance,” Puad said in a text reply to Malay Mail.
“Its closure also proved that Jasa was an effective government machinery in communicating the messages ‘of the government of the day’ including responding to the lies and allegations by the Opposition, especially from the DAP,” he added.
The DAP, PH’s predominantly Chinese component member, was often the subject of Jasa’s past efforts. Its leaders claimed the intention was to tap on Malay insecurity and keep the ethnic majority suspicious of the opposition coalition.
The Communications and Multimedia Ministry said last month it has already begun efforts to reactivate Jasa that past government critics alleged had been a propaganda unit.
According to national news agency Bernama, Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin said his ministry was already rehiring former Jasa officers for this purpose.
Talks that Jasa could be reactivated has elicited concerns that the PN government would resort to the same scaremongering and racially divisive tactic.
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kaytee notes:
This guy must be another type of Dwarf wakakaka, in saying “Reviving Jasa proves that the act of shutting it down was wrong and an act of vengeance”. Any logic in his moronic statement?
The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government can set up whatever it likes, so long as it's not using public funds for the expenses - which it is in setting up JASA again for the coalition's benefits.
The PN government is totally disgraceful in (mis)using public-taxpayers' money to establish a PN communication-propaganda unit for PN's (not the public's) political benefits.
BN , especially UMNO, learned from CCP, which has a massive government funded organisation dedicated to combating "lies" on the Internet , anything contrary to the CCP position.
ReplyDeleteAs u learnt from HOW u operate to spread lies on the internet, right?
DeleteSo easy to fart about anything 'good' about CCP China!
jasa good meh? i think pas hadi more effective, didnt we see most pas muslim believe its halal to curi, thats islam with hadi kharacteristics.
ReplyDelete