Mp Urges Speaker Not To Limit Media At Parliament

---

 



Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor Ming has urged Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun to review a decision to limit media presence at the upcoming parliamentary session.

"The august House is duty-bound to defend the public’s right to know. Stop the rot!
"Public interest warrants the sitting of Parliament be made open, transparent, and accountable to the public.

"The decision by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker to prohibit many media organisations from making live coverage is tantamount to disrespect to the House and it must be stopped," Nga (above) said on Twitter today.

The coming sitting begins on Nov 2, and is crucial as Budget 2021 will be tabled on Nov 6 and called to a vote on Nov 23. This could determine whether Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin commands majority support to continue as prime minister.

Earlier today, however, parliamentary administrators ruled that only 15 media organisations are allowed to cover the sitting to curb the spread of Covid-19 and fulfil standard operating procedures set by the authorities.
Each approved media organisation is only allowed one reporter, and either a photographer or videographer. They must also undergo an RT-PCR test on Oct 30 and present the results on Nov 2.

None of the online-only news outlets, including Malaysiakini, made it on the list.

Azhar has apologised for the matter and said it was a difficult decision to make.

“We are operating under a really strict conditional movement control order and Covid-19 standard operating procedure. The journalist area can only accommodate about 60 while there are about 130 of you,” he said. - Mkini

---