Budget 2021: RM85.5 million for JASA better be used to buy face masks for the people - Najib

According to the former prime minister, the priority that should be given by the government during these difficult times is to address the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than creating specific units or agencies that aim to explain existing administrative policies to the people.

The Pekan Member of Parliament stressed that the big allocation should also be used to buy face masks, sanitiser fluids or give to those who really need it.

"In this time of crisis, more allocation (is needed) to save the people. But JASA’s (allocation) four times more than in the Barisan Nasional (BN) era, is difficult to be accepted by many, and stoke the people’s anger," he said when debating the Bill. Supply (Budget) 2021, in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Najib said he could accept if the allocation for JASA was also channelled to parents who were unable to provide a nutritious breakfast for their children as a replacement for the Supplementary Meal Plan (RMT) supply due to the school closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Describing the budget this time as a 'War Budget', Najib stressed that he could not accept the proposed allocation of that amount for JASA and asked that the matter be re-evaluated by the Ministry of Finance.

Najib said the voice of the people is a sacred one and things that the people do not like should not be continued by the current government.

In the meantime, Najib said, he hoped that all parties, especially from political parties to stop blaming each other following the third wave of COVID-19 in the country.

He said BN is aware that there are parties who blame them for trying to get Sabah back from Parti Warisan Sabah, resulting in the outbreak of the Sabah State Election (PRN) and subsequently caused a sudden spread back to the Peninsula.

“The other side needs to remember, Semporna (Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal) said he was willing to die by holding a PRN rather than to hand over power.

“We also do not forget that other parties unanimously support the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) and for the Sabah PRN to be held. It was BN who opposed the DUN dissolution to the extent that we asked three times in court to stop the PRN.

“And Lahad Datu (Datuk Mohamadin Ketapi) said don't be afraid of COVID-19, it is just the propaganda of the Federal government, the case will be zero after the PRN ends,” he added.

In this regard, Najib once again called for the cessation of the polemic and work together to ensure that the country recovers from the crisis.

In the 2021 Budget tabled by the Minister of Finance, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz in the Dewan Rakyat last Friday, the government proposed to revive JASA with an allocation of RM85.5 million.

Based on the Federal budget estimates, there are two allocations for the department under the budget of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia.

The first allocation of RM4 million under the strategic communications budget and the second allocation of RM81.5 million under the new policy.