Yesterday Puad Zarkashi, Director General for JASA, a department parked under the Ministry of Communication and Multimedia accused former Bank Negara adviser Nor Mohamed for protecting Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the forex scandal in a letter that was signed by himself as an UMNO Supreme Council Member.
This is not the first time Puad Zarkashi has behaved as an UMNO propagandist and apologist, at other times he churns and spews fake and false news and allegations against BN’s ‘enemies’.
One of the functions of this department is to identify and monitor every issue that is a threat to public confidence against the Government (Mengenalpasti dan memantau setiap isu yang boleh menggugat kepercayaan rakyat terhadap kerajaan).
Why must an agency like JASA be created with a fat budget every year so that they can vehemently defend the ruling political party UMNO, the wife of the Prime Minister Rosmah Mansor, meddling and calling for the resignation of certain individuals like Felda Global Ventures (FGV) chairman Mohd Isa Abdul Samad and CEO Zakaria Arshad, volunteering to stand in to represent the PM at the ‘Nothing To Hide’ Forum as well as issuing a statement as JASA Director General but signed off as an UMNO Supreme Council Member?
Puad Zarkashi must remember that his salary and the national budget allocation for his department is from the tax-payers money and therefore if he wants to continue to speak as an UMNO Supreme Council Member then he should be sacked from his current position instead of riding on his capacity as DG of JASA and launching vitriol attacks on anyone who questions, attacks or criticises the Government as an UMNO tool.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has indeed put the right man for the job as a human shield for UMNO and Barisan Nasional countering any comment or statement against the BN machinery and the likes of the wife of the Prime Minister which he so vehemently defends.
Puad Zarkashi’s personal attacks must stop or he should be sacked from his post of Director General of JASA as well as the demobilization of the entire JASA Department for serving no purpose or function to the public other than a proponent to spread fake news, blind faith in defending their masters and as a Government avenue in venting out his personal vendetta to defend and protect the hand that feeds him.
His statement now with regards to the RCI on the forex losses comes as being provocative, childish and instigative in nature to undermine testimonies of personalities related to this matter.
If Puad Zarkashi still wants to carry on with this blatant, biased and baseless attacks against the Opposition, or anyone, in his opinion is a threat to his UMNO-Barisan Nasional government, then he should enrol himself to be an official UMNO-BN cybertrooper with a steady, and lucrative income from now till the 14th General Elections.
How can the public have confidence that the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia will execute good policies that respect and uphold freedom of speech and expression whilst taking stern, legal action against those who propagate lies, slander, racist and sexist comments when they have an untouchable department that receives over RM20million from the 2017 national budget.
If Puad Zarkashi does not resign, then he deserves to be sacked by Datuk Seri Salleh Keruak as Minister of Communications and Multimedia to ensure that the likes of Puad Zarkashi be removed from his ministry.