In what can be described as an attempt to emulate White House press briefings, Putrajaya has up the ante on communication department with their own daily briefings, scheduled twice a day.
The briefs would be conducted by senior press secretary Tunku Nashrul Abaidah. The difference is that even White House did not hold their briefings daily, and the press are allowed to ask questions to the Press Secretary.
This new move is a vote of no confidence by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) toward the government's own propaganda unit, JKOM as well as Fahmi's role as the government spokeperson, despite Tunku Nashrul's assurance that the briefings were not to replace Fahmi's role.
JKOM is a disaster. Since the inception of Anwar's government less than four years ago, it has seen three chiefs. The tenure of the first one, Mohammad Agus Yusoff, ended rather badly. He resigned following a lewd video of him with his assistance, of which he said his voice was edited.
His replacement, Dr. Mohd. Khairuddin Othman did not bring anything fruitful to JKOM's effort in disseminating information to the public. The former two-term Paya Jaras assemblyman headed the agency only for six month.
Khairuddin was subsequently replaced by another PKR man, Ismail Yusop. But here's a thing about appointing older generation to head communication agency: They have no idea on how to conduct propaganda in an online warfare, nor they are familiar with the know-how on the digital front. The digital media landscape moves very quickly and with that, its intricracies.
JKOM has failed to explain to the Malaysian public, for example, why is there a shortage of local white rice. The nationwide problem was a huge concern amidst rising cost of living. Nor it could put a stop-gap measure on the increasing skepticism on the country's direction under Anwar. The government mouthpiece has been reduced to nothing more than a reactionary force, incapable of establishing narrative that sticks with the mind of the people.
Fahmi, on the hand, has too much baggage. People will recall what he said while he was in the opposition and compare to his stance today, where he defended the status quo. A parody by graphic artist Fahmi Reza is a testament to that baggage; a proof that the internet does not forget.
Which is why Tunku Nashrul needed to come into the picture. Unlike Fahmi, he has no baggage or past statement that could be used against him. As a blank slate, he can deliver the government's messaging without the burden of past contradictions. PMO is surely hoping that such a new face could ramp up their credibility and appeal, particularly to fence-sitter who have lost trust in both JKOM or Fahmi.
Another aspect that needs revision is the twice-a-day briefing. Over time, it risks becoming exhaustive for the audience. On a slow news day, Tunku Nashrul may be forced to response to petty or insignificant issues. There is also a risk of knee-jerk statement that would only be backtracked later, as the government meets the pressure of delivering swift and effective responses to emerging issues.
Ultimately, Putrajaya’s decision to take matters into its own hands speaks volumes about the state of the government’s communications machinery. The introduction of these daily briefings may be framed as an attempt to increase transparency, but it is, at its core, an admission that the existing system has failed. Whether Tunku Nashrul’s presence can reverse this decline, however, remains to be seen.
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