Perak Speaker wants all media to report on 7 May

By Anil Netto

Yesterday a media notice sent out by the Perak Information Department indicated that only 13 media groups - all of them mainstream media - would be allowed to cover the controversial Perak State Assembly proceedings on 7-13 May.

The 13 mainstream media outfits are RTM, Bernama TV, TV3, The Star, New Straits Times, Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, China Press, Sin Chew Daily, Nanyang Siang Pau, Tamil Namban, Tamil Nesan and Bernama. They are expected to provide pro-BN coverage.

The Assembly proceedings on 7 May will be closely followed by Malaysians - given the constitutional crisis in the state and the BN attempt to replace the Speaker, who is from the DAP. Even the seating arrangements in the Assembly could be disputed.

Today, Perak Speaker A Sivakumar said he would meet with the State Secretary to obtain clarification on the media restrictions.

In line with democratic traditions, people have the right to know what’s happening in the Assembly, he said. He is therefore asking all media, including the foreign and internet media, to cover the proceedings on 7 May. This is the closing excerpt of his statement released today on his blog:

Saya akan berjumpa dengan Datuk Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri secepat yang mungkin untuk mendapatkan penjelasanya berkaitan dengan isu ini. Saya sebagai Speaker Dewan Negeri Perak berpegang kepada prinsip-prinsip demokrasi yang subur. Dalam persidangan-persidangan DUN tahun yang lepas, saya membenarkan liputan TV internet secara langsung. Ramai orang dari dalam dan luar negara telah mengikuti persidangan dewan tersebut. Inilah namanya demokrasi, kerana rakyat yang memilih wakilnya berhak mengetahui apakah yang berlaku di dewan semasa persidangan. Ianya tidak boleh disorok-sorokkan.

Oleh yang demikian, saya mahu semua media, termasuk media antarabangsa dan media internet untuk membuat liputan persidangan DUN pada 7 Mei secara adil dan saksama.

Najib must respond. It was only recently, when addressing the Malaysian Press Institute, that he had said:

If we are truly to build a democracy that is responsive to the needs of all the people, we need a media - both old and new - that is empowered to responsibly report what they see, without fear of consequence, and to hold governments and public officials accountable for the results they achieve or do not achieve.

How can the media report “what they see, without fear of consequences”, when they are not even allowed to cover the State Assembly proceedings?