Media boycott over Parliament access

More than 100 journalists are staging a boycott after the Parliament administration cut media access to the building’s lobby and barricaded the area.

In protest, journalists from all print, online and electronic media have decided to only cover the proceedings in the Dewan Rakyat and boycott all press conferences or events held outside of the chamber.The journalists were outraged and stunned by the latest ruling which has resulted in the entire lobby being cordoned off, apparently on security grounds.Security guards were stationed in the area to ensure the journalists would not enter the ‘prohibited area’, which has been fenced off with a red-tape barrier.

The barricades have restricted the journalists from moving around freely in the lobby to interview parliamentarians.The lobby is used by MPs as a meeting point and they often call impromptu press conferences in the area.This is the first time that Parliament has enforced such a ruling, and so far there has not been any official explanation for the unprecedented move.

Expect fewer reports from journalistsThis ruling came in the wake of another controversial decision setting a limit on the number of journalists covering Parliament.Last Friday, the Parliament administration issued a notice to all media organisations informing them that they could only send no more than five journalists to cover the ongoing session. [See full letter]The letter explained that the decision was due to concern over security.This has upset a number big media companies which have deployed up to a dozen of reporters each, including editors, in Parliament.

After the March 8 election where the ruling BN suffered its worst electoral outing, an average of 100 journalists have been covering the daily parliamentary proceedings. This was in light of a dramatic increase in opposition MPs as well as the unusual presence of almost all ministers or deputies in the House.

English-language daily Star assistant news editor Lee Yuk Peng slammed the ruling, saying that the journalists should be able to move freely in Parliament to perform their duties.“We should be the last group to be linked with security concerns,” said Lee, who started covering the parliament beat in 1997.“(The impact is) there will be fewer stories. It takes two hands to clap - many ministers can’t wait to talk to the journalists or give them stories,” she added.

Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau journalist Kam Choy Wan pointed out that newspapers have sent more reporters to cover Parliament to ensure the debate in the House is given due prominence.“This ruling definitely affected our job as it is our duty as journalists to approach government leaders in order to get their comments on current issues or government policies.
“The Parliament administrators are going after the wrong target (if the concern is over security),” she added.Even MPs not happy with the banMeanwhile, the matter was also brought up by opposition MPs in the House who protested the ruling and argued that this was tantamount to a clampdown on press freedom.

"There is no justification whatsoever for restricting reporters to a small corner as if they pose a grave danger to security and a threat to the safety of parliamentarians," said Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Bagan) in the House.

"No MP has ever suffered personal injury or threats from reporters accredited to cover the Parliament," he said.

"By imposing such restrictions merely for the personal comfort and conveniences of certain individuals would contravene the basic spirit of democracy and respect the sanctity of Parliament where reporters can carry out their duties to communicate debate on policy in an accurate and professional manner," he added.Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) also joined his son in calling for the ban to be withdrawn.“The journalists have been treated as wild and dangerous animals that so much so they have to be caged,” said the veteran politician, adding that the ruling will become a laughing stock in the eyes of the world.

Deputy speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who was presiding over the parliamentary sitting this morning, said the decision had been made by the speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia and another deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee collectively. He added that based on his visits to parliaments abroad such as in the United Kingdom and Australia, he had never seen a parliament so “chaotic” and “swarmed with reporters” as the one in Malaysia.

BN MPs 'tear down' barricades

However, the decision did not go down well with even government parliamentarians.At about 2.15pm, several backbenchers led by Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) took direct action in physically removing the barricadesThe journalists however decided to continue the boycott since there was no official revocation of the ruling from the Parliament administration.When the matter was brought up again by Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) during the afternoon debate, speaker Pandikar Amin stood his ground and ticked off the opposition MPs for raising the issue.“Since when Bagan (Guan Eng) and Batu Gajah (Fong) are interested to become the editors?” he asked. “How do we know whether those showing the press tag are indeed journalists?”

According to the speaker, he is awaiting a response from media organisations over his ‘enquiry’ on whether it was appropriate to enforce the ‘five journalists only’ rule.Pandikar Amin said he will make a final decision after receiving feedback from the media.However, according to a copy of the notice sent to media organisations last week, it was clearly stated that the Parliament “has decided” that each paper could only send five journalists.Apart from journalists, aides and press secretaries to MPs have also been subjected to stringent security rule - they are no longer allowed to distribute their bosses’ press statements in the media room, where journalists use to file their reports.

Only MPs will be allowed to do so, according to Guan Eng’s aide Lim Swee Kuan who was asked to leave the media room by security personnel around noon today.PM, DPM, opposition functions affectedThe protest by the journalists has affected scheduled press conferences called by the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Pakatan Rakyat MPs from Kuala Lumpur.Abdullah was slated to chair a cabinet committee meeting on the competitiveness of palm oil in Parliament while Najib will chair two meetings - one of which is the Umno management committee meeting.Whereas the Pakatan MPs from Kuala Lumpur had planned to call a press conference on the Draft KL City Plan.

However, all the press conferences were boycotted by journalists. Only state-owned news agency Bernama sent its representatives to cover the events.On hearing the ban, the Pakatan MPs went to the media centre for their press conference but were told by journalists they would not be reporting anything apart from the debates in the House’s chamber.A scheduled launching of the official government’s weblog by Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek, initially slated for tomorrow at Parliament, has been postponed to another date as a result of the boycott.Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, when asked, refused to comment.“

I am only the intermediary between the executives and the legislature. I’m not involved in this,” said the normally outspoken minister who oversees parliamentary affairs.

NUJ: Ruling puzzling

Meanwhile the National Union of Journalists called for media restriction to be lifted and freedom of movement of journalists on Parliament beat restored.NUJ Norila Mohd Daud said the union viewed the restriction as a move that would be counterproductive, and leading to the media not being able to give full coverage of the Parliament."

The action is unprecedented and appears to be an affront which will hinder journalists and media practitioners from carrying out their journalistic duties," she said in a statement today.Norila said the ruling appeared puzzling and irrational as "Parliament is the symbol of democracy".