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KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- For the first time in Parliament's history, reporters were barred from the Parliament lobby Tuesday.
To counter the move, members of the media showed their solidarity by boycotting all press conferences held at Parliament, include those by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
The media personnel took such a bold step to express their unhappiness at the "unfriendly ruling" by Parliament's management.
As a result, two press conferences by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and one by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi were only covered by the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), Radio Televisyen Malaysia, TV3, Berita Harian and foreign wires personnel.
The media representatives, who were covering the second day meeting of the second meeting of the first session of the 12th Parliament, were informed that they would only be allowed to be at one corner of the lobby which has been designated for news conferences.
No statement was issued by Parliament's administration on this new ruling earlier, nor was the any verbal instructions. Only barriers were put up with signages stating that reporters were not allowed to be in the areas.
The only statement received by the media from the Parliament administration was on Friday to inform of a new ruling limiting only five reporters from each media organisations to cover Parliament proceedings due to security reasons.
Several member of Parliaments, from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and also opposition, who symphatised with the media tried to get Parliament to withdraw the ban but failed.
The first attempt was made by Chief Minister of Penang and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Bagan) when he took the opportunity to ask Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who chaired the first session Tuesday, to withdraw the ban when his turn to ask the first question in the question and answer session Tuesday.
"I feel that this prohibition does not respect the role of the mass media and would jeopardise their efforts in discharging their duty and, therefore, call for the prohibition to be lifted.
"The ban is not in accordance with press freedom and the spirit of Parliament. I hope the ban can be lifted," he said.
Wan Junaidi replied that the new regulation was the result of a consensus reached following discussions between the three of them who were newly appointed, Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and deputy speaker, Datuk Ronald Kiandee, at the last session of Parliament to ensure that there was order and control in the lobby area.
Wan Junaidi said since the matter was raised, the new ruling would be discussed again and the outcome would be announced by Pandikar Amin soon.
Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) also brought up the issue when his motion to discuss on blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin's statutory declaration was rejected by the House said that the Parliament was treating journalists like dangerous wild animals.
Kit Siang said a decision had to be made immediately because the matter was getting international coverage and felt that restricting the media in the discharge of its duty was an embarrassment and that Parliament had to be more open.
Pandikar Amin Mulia when chairing the session in the afternoon said Parliament's administration was waiting for feedback from the media organisations on the new rulings, which include allocating only five media personnel from each organisations.
Backbenchers Club Deputy Chairman Datuk Bung Moktar Radin said he tried several times to persuade Pandikar Amin to retract the ruling during the lunch break.
-- BERNAMA | |
