Something odd happened this morning (24 June). When I entered the Parliament, the lobby was empty. The usual flock of journalists banished from the scene.
Later I realized that the Parliament has made a new ruling that journalists are not allowed to hang around in the lobby. In fact, the restriction went beyond that. Besides the main lobby, several areas including the cafeteria, had been declared “no-journalist zone”.
On top of that, visitors entering the Parliament also faced problems. The security guards prevented visitors or guests from entering the lobby unless the MPs personally came down to the entrance to lead them.
I had a group of US journalists visiting me at lunchtime. They were stopped. After my personal intervention, they were allowed in but were confined to the cafeteria.
Further, the parliament administration also barred aides or staff members of MPs from distributing press statement to the press. Instead, the MPs must do it personally.
The attempt of imposing restrictions started yesterday, the first day of Second Session, when the administration informed the media that all press would be confined to a maximum of 5 reporters in the Parliament.
These outrageous measures angered the press, and they collectively decided to boycott all events in the parliament. I must congratulate the journalists for acting in solidarity. It was great that They even decline to report press conferences by PM and DPM in the Parliament. (Malaysiakini English/Malay report)
A few of Pakatan Rakyat MPs tried to raise the issue when the MPs back in chamber after lunch. The Speaker Pandikar insisted that the rules meant to uphold the ’sanctity’ of the House and to preserve the security of MPs. He said the practice was common in other “first class” parliaments throughout the world.
Kit Siang said the measures contravened the principle of press freedom that is part and parcel of the “first class” parliament.
In the debate, Pandikar stated that provisions in the Standing Order empowered the speaker to invite and exclude “representative” of the media into the parliament.
The Speaker claimed the Standing Order uses a singular noun “representative” without “s”; and in Malay is “wakil” instead of “wakil-wakil”.
I stood up to refute that interpretation. I said in the context here, it has to be seen as plural similar to “delegation”.
Finally, the Speaker stubbornly defend his decision to restrict the media.
I believe the root of the problems was the authoritarian mentality of our parliament administration. In the last session, the autocracy blamed the influx of journalists and civil society lobby groups for turning parliament into pasar.
The restrictive measures aimed at insulating MPs (surely BN) from the press.
This is against the notion of transparency but also an insult the dignity of the press. Utterly stupid!
