KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 9 -- Datuk Puad Zarkashi, the last director-general (D-G) for the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) before it was disbanded, has rejected the government's allocation to reconstitute the unit as an extravagance at a time the country was battling Covid-19.

While he agreed with the idea of re-establishing the Barisan Nasional-era propaganda unit, he said spending so much to do so now would be tone-deaf on the government's part.

"An allocation of RM85.5 million to Jasa proves that Budget 2021 is insensitive to 'priorities' when the country is being hit by a third wave of Covid-19 infections.

"Reviving Jasa is appropriate but providing a fourfold allocation at the time of Covid-19 is highly inappropriate," he told Malay M...