Motion to reduce Jasa’s allocation tabled, says Finance Minister

KUALA LUMPUR: A motion has been tabled to reduce the RM85.5mil allocated to the controversial Special Affairs Department (Jasa) in Budget 2021, according to Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

However, he said that more details regarding the reduction in allocation would be announced during the committee stage of Budget 2021 deliberations that will commence next week.

“I have made a motion to decrease allocation given to Jasa. We will announce it at the committee stage, ” Zafrul said in his winding up speech on Budget 2021 in Parliament on Thursday (Nov 26).

He was responding to Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (IND-Jerlun), who asked whether there was any reduction in allocations in some areas following the increase in allocations for other segments of Budget 2021.

Under Budget 2021, Jasa was allocated RM4mil for “strategic communications” under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry and RM81.5mil for “new policies”.