[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: The Center for Independent Journalism (ICJ) and Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) have criticized the decision to restrict access to the media for the one-day session of Parliament on May 18.
“CIJ is dismayed at the statements reported by Dewan Rakyat President Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof and de facto Minister of Law Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan that access to Parliament one day on May 18 will be restricted to state media RTM and Bernama.
“The Covid-19 pandemic was cited as the reason behind this failure,” ICJ Executive Director Wathshlah G. Naidu said in a statement on Saturday (May 9).
Although there would be a live broadcast of the proceedings, he said denying media access to parliamentarians denied journalists the opportunity to verify the information directly with them.
“Now there will only be one unilateral message or perception, which will reject any dissenting opinion for public consumption.
“This is deeply troubling since the public has a right to know what happened and to form their own opinion based on multiple sources of information,” he added.
Wathshlah said the government must work with the media and provide a safe and supportive environment by ensuring that all necessary disinfection and social distancing measures are taken.
In his statement, Geramm said the restriction should be revoked as there was no clear need for it.
Instead, all service media personnel can comply with the Ministry of Health’s standard operating procedures to prevent Covid-19 infections.
“This is in line with the Chief Minister in charge of the Security Cluster Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, called for self-regulation after the movement control order is lifted,” the statement read.
Geramm said media personnel had taken and would continue to take preventive security measures by covering the news.
Geramm added that journalists were more than stenographers because the media played a crucial role as the fourth state in a democracy.
[ad_2]
