[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: The Election Commission (EC) that bans “unofficial media” from entering the nomination centers for the Sabah elections on Saturday (September 12) should be reconsidered, says the Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ).
CIJ said that since the change of government in March, the Covid-19 pandemic has been increasingly used as a reason to sideline journalists and media professionals who do not belong to state agencies from covering important events of public interest.
“This creates a situation where only unilateral news or insights will be available for public consumption,” CIJ Executive Director Wathshlah G. Naidu said in a statement on Saturday.
Wathshlah noted that access to press conferences by certain government ministers who provide updates related to Covid-19 was still limited to “official media” to this day.
He said this was deeply concerning because the public had a right to know what had happened and to be able to form their own opinions based on multiple sources of information.
“On top of that, prohibiting ‘unofficial media’ from covering government events but still allowing all official media to do so with physical distancing SOPs in mind shows that the space for reporters to cover these procedures safely and according to the Covid-19 SOPs it is indeed feasible, “he said.
He added that the government of the day must always work to guarantee fair and equitable access to all media and platforms.
Wathshlah also urged the EC to reconsider its decision to ban unofficial media from entering the nomination centers and allow all media personnel and journalists to enter the voting tabulation centers on Election Day on the 26th. of September.
The star previously reported in their LiveBlog coverage of Nomination Day that only Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), Bernama, the Information Department and the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) were able to enter the nomination centers on Saturday. morning.
[ad_2]
