How reliable is JASA?

Me and a few friends, among whom are senior journos and high ranking govt officials, just looked at each other in disbelief after reading a newspaper report while having afternoon tea in Bandar Kinrara yesterday.

Nothing extraordinary about the report. What awed us is the disappointment for having to read and accept that same grandfather's fiddlestick story, again and again.

It's about JASA, the government's fact-finding machinery which is entrusted to help Barisan Nasional strategise its political approach, especially in detecting the rakyats' increasing or deteriorating support for the government.

And of course the government relies heavily on such feedbacks in charting the right policy and program for the people. In fact, the perfect timing to call for a general election also takes into account their recommendation.

However, how reliable is JASA and its findings? How much trust is PM Najib have on them? Does minister in-charge Rais Yatim notice how much JASA reports had gone far from near perfect to the level of 'cannot be trusted anymore'?

I personally would like to question what are the mechanism and approach being taken by JASA to substantiate its reports and recommendations?

We dont expect a 100 per cent prediction report but this 'special task force' has not been that reliable anymore.

Were they the ones who told us that PKR would get only four parliamentary seats in 2008 national poll? PKR won 31, six more than my own forecast after spending two months making rounds with a few journo friends.

Even their win prediction for Kuala Terengganu by-election in January 2009 turned out to be the otherwise.

And in Johor Bahru on Wednesday, JASA was proud and convinced to announce that BN will easily notch a two-third majority victory in the coming general election.

While Najib himself has been reminding Umno and BN not to look down at the Opposition, our 'underground' units seem to be banking on loose reports about the outcome of the general election. Aren't we worried?

Anticipating that some quarters would not like my posting, I better stop here.