KUALA LUMPUR – The Dewan Rakyat today passed a motion to reduce the allocation for the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) by RM45 million to RM40.5 million, down from the original RM85.5 million provided in Budget 2021.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun announced that the motion was passed by a majority vote after being debated by six MPs, three each from the government and opposition bloc.
The motion was proposed by Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Abd Rahim Bakri before the commencement of the debate at the committee level of the Supply Bill 2021 for the Communications and Multimedia Ministry.
He submitted the proposal with an amendment for an allocation of RM164,151,656,800 to RM164,106,656,800 in Clause 2 of the Supply Bill 2021.
“This amendment arises from the reduction of the amount allocated for the expansion of Jasa, under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, by RM45 million,” he said.
The Dewan Rakyat also rejected a motion proposed by five opposition MPs to scrap the allocation of RM81.5 million for Jasa’s expansion and another RM4 million for the department.
The motion was proposed by Maria Chin Abdullah (PH-Petaling Jaya), Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau (Upko-Tuaran), Fahmi Fadzil (PH-Lembah Pantai), Fuziah Salleh (PH-Kuantan) and Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (independent-Jerlun).
Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, when winding up the debate on the motion, said all parties should reset their thinking in relation to the department.
“This is not Jasa. This J-Kom. For J-Kom, we must have a realistic, rational and mature view, as well as when dealing with differences of opinion between us.
“(J-Kom) is for us to develop new thoughts on the importance and real needs of the country’s digital policy.” – Bernama, December 10, 2020
