KUALA LUMPUR: The Community Communications Department (J-Kom) is not politically motivated and is not the mouthpiece of any political party, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the department, which is under the ministry, was not particularly new and was established under the Perikatan Nasional's (PN) administration in 2021.
"I would like to remind you that the department was established on Feb 1, 2021, and I was an opposition (member of parliament) at the time.
"This is not a new department that was established by the current government.
"All of the members in this house have been in the government, hence, do not ask me if J-Kom is a mouthpiece of any political party and whether any appointments are politically motivated because it was established by that side (the opposition) in 2021," she said during the ministry's winding-up speech on the Supply (Reallocation of Appropriated Expenditure) Bill 2024 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Teo said this when asked by several members of parliament who enquired whether J-Kom was affiliated with any political party during the bill debate session.
Teo said the ministry will ensure that the department fulfils its role and responsibilities, adding that there will be no overlap of functions with any other agencies under the ministry.
J-Kom was previously known as Special Affairs Department or Jasa. It was reported that the department underwent a rebranding in 2020 with the aim of not operating as a political propaganda machine for the government.