KUALA LUMPUR – Instead of limiting the number of news outfits allowed to cover the next Dewan Rakyat sitting, Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil said the speaker could repurpose available spaces to accommodate more newsmen.
In his statement, he said there are plenty of areas in the Parliament complex that can be used as media lounges, including the ones in the temporary Dewan Rakyat building and MP offices.
“I regret that the Parliament is barring the media, especially all online media, from covering the sitting (November 2-December 23) during which Budget 2021 will be tabled and debated.
“It is important for the media to cover this sitting because it will showcase the discussions and debates on where taxpayer money will be used next year,” said Fahmi, adding that tents can even be erected to house media personnel.
He said restricting media personnel can be misconstrued as an attempt to stifle press freedom.
“There is still time for speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun to rectify this. I implore for him to reconsider this directive to preserve the sanctity of Dewan Rakyat,” said Fahmi, who is also PKR communications director.
The Parliament’s corporate communication department today issued letters to media organisations, saying only 15 media organisations listed in the letter will be allowed in during the next sitting.
The restriction is needed in order to adhere to the SOPs set by the National Security Council and the Health Ministry, said the department. – The Vibes, October 16, 2020
