PUTRAJAYA: One year since a new leadership took over, the Community Communications Department (J-Kom) has made it its mission to focus on safeguarding the country’s political security following moves to “rebrand” the government agency.
The department is not merely a communications outfit but an agency entrusted with protecting the country’s political security, said director-general Datuk Ismail Yusop.
“We must take responsibility for what is called political security. We must differentiate between party politics and government,” he said.
J-Kom, which began in 2021, had previously come under intense spotlight, with opposition politicians accusing it of being a propaganda machine for the government.
Subsequently, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil announced in October 2024 that the government would reassess its function and organisational structure.
Ismail, a former senator, was appointed DG in January last year. He took over the post, which had been left vacant for some time when the tenure of the previous DG, Mohd Khairuddin Othman, ended in September 2024 after a mere six months in the job for reasons that were not made public.
Mohd Khairuddin’s predecessor, who was appointed in February 2023, resigned in November that same year, saying he had another job offer.
In an interview with The Star, Ismail addressed accusations of J-Kom being a propaganda arm of the government.
He said that one should not automatically view the term negatively.
“Propaganda exists in every government. Do not interpret propaganda negatively. A propagandist seeks to convince people,” he said.
He maintained that J-Kom’s mandate was to help the public understand government policies, particularly at the grassroots level.
“That is why we have community communications. At the grassroots level, the rakyat must understand the policies and initiatives of the government of the day,” he said.
Ismail drew a distinction between party politics and the business of governing.
Political stability was fundamental to ensuring that the government of the day could function effectively, he said.
He said that Malaysia’s political landscape had evolved since 2018, shifting away from decades of dominance by a single coalition.
“There has been no single dominant political party since 2022. When there is no dominant party, the question of political stability becomes critical,” he said.
“In the past, agencies that carried out propaganda work operated in a different environment. Today, the landscape has changed. We cannot function as before,” he said.
He said the responsibility of ensuring stability was not confined to political parties alone but extended to the rakyat as part of the nation-building process.
“Talking about the nation is one thing. This is about the rakyat. It is the rakyat who makes the decision,” he said.
He said that this political shift necessitated a reevaluation of government communications and socio-political management.
Ismail believes that maintaining political stability is crucial for uninterrupted country governance.
“If you ask me, nation-building is a process. It is still a process. We have only reached 67 years since Merdeka,” he noted.
Ultimately, he said, safeguarding political security was about upholding the Federal Constitution and ensuring that differences in opinion do not fracture the nation.
“You can disagree. You can criticise. But do not damage the Constitution. That is the frame that binds us,” he said.
