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PETALING JAYA: A MP has urged Dewan Rakyat President Azhar Harun to impose restrictions on the number of lobbyists and people in the retinues of ministers who attend parliamentary meetings.
Wong Shu Qi said the Covid-19 standard operating procedures were non-negotiable, but they were not reason enough to prevent journalists from reporting on parliamentary procedures, especially the annual federal budget.
“Using Covid-19 as an excuse to censor the media is not only irresponsible but egregious and regressive,” he said in a statement.
Last week it was reported that only certain media companies would be allowed to enter Parliament to cover the budget meetings of Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara from November 2 to December 23.
The budget will be presented at the Dewan Rakyat on November 6.
Media authorized to cover include RTM, Bernama, TV AlHijrah, TV3, New Straits Times, Astro Awani, Utusan, Sinar Harian and The Star.
Online media were not included. Wong argued that online media remains the main source of news for Malaysians. “It makes no sense then that media outlets like Malaysiakini, Free Malaysia Today and The Malaysian Insight could not cover the events of Parliament.”
Instead of restricting attendance to just 15 media outlets, the President should limit the number of journalists on duty from each media outlet or implement protocols such as social distancing.
There should be restrictions on the size of the ministers’ entourage, he said. At the last parliamentary meeting, ministers and deputy ministers were followed by a trail of “large groups of people.”
Parliament, Wong added, should also watch out for lobbyists and political supporters who crowd the august building.
“Therefore, if the president deemed it necessary to restrict the number of people entering parliament, then eliminate the entourage of ministers, not the fourth estate.”
