J-KOM: Breathing new life into Govt’s information delivery system

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 25): The Government’s move to rebrand the Department of Special Affairs (JASA) as the Department of Community Communications (J-KOM) with different roles and functions is seen as breathing new life into establishing a more effective communications and information delivery system between the Government and the people.

Experts and analysts opined that the move was timely with the country’s current situation which emphasises an informed society, although J-KOM might be facing some challenges especially in changing people’s perception towards the department that was previously deemed as a Government propaganda tool.

Head of Governance and Integrity Cluster at the Centre for Government Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Prof Dr Ahmad Martadha Mohamed said besides avoiding overlapping functions with other agencies, the rebranding would provide more room for the Government to distribute accurate and authentic information.

“Not only in providing information on what is happening in the Government but more importantly, it also provides a dynamic communication channel in which society can share their input, suggestions or criticism on Government policies or programmes.

“The Government can also interact dynamically which will improve its ability to become more responsive and accountable, thus strengthening its aspiration to create a digital society,” he told Bernama.

The rebranding of JASA to J-KOM was announced by the Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah when winding up the Supply Bill 2021 at the Dewan Rakyat today, whereby the objective is to create two-way communications between the government and the people.

Saifuddin also guaranteed that J-KOM was not a propaganda machine and its main objective is to convey accurate, authentic, and wise government information to the people, as well as to hear the voice and feedback from the people.

The method used is by developing the community, especially at grassroots level, who practise a culture of knowledge, are digitally skilled, and appreciate the meaning and focus of patriotism by adopting the community empowerment approach.

Many parties have questioned the re-creation of JASA which was abolished by the previous Government, besides the RM85.5 million allocation for the department which is described as too much compared with its function which is claimed to be the Government propaganda tool.

Meanwhile, a political and social media analyst from Universiti Teknologi Mara, Prof Madya Dr Sara Chinnasamy, said the country’s political scenario has changed and therefore, the people should also change their perspective towards the department.

She said the Communications and Multimedia Ministry has to meticulously explain the roles and functions of J-KOM which are clearly different from other entities such as the Information Department, to avoid confusion and misinterpretation by the people.

To improve two-way communications, Sara also suggested that J-KOM adopt the latest convergence technology in terms of receiving feedback, whereby it does not only evaluate the receiving aspect but also to ensure that information distribution is truly effective.

“Make full use of social media in the urban areas and don’t miss out the rural areas which require face-to-face or two-way communication.

“There’s no use using social media totally as there are areas with no Internet access, so people may raise the question of development,” she said.

Source: TheEdgeMarkets