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 V Sivakumar said he would meet with the State Secretary to seek 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?
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ah!! m’sian toiletpaper reporters only ask qns dat umno/bn ministers want 2 hear wen their political masters insult them, them reporters laugh sheepishly how embarassing!! wen umno/bn leader answers a toiletpaper reporter’s qn with another qn, d reporter starts scrambling 4 answers(not the other way round !!) has been happening since d days of mahafiraun theexstra, the people’s toiletpaper with d likes of mercenaries: INSIDE … who is jostling hard 2 ampu umno BEATEN UP W who lost no time in bodek-ing badawi n lambasting mamakthir (whom he had been …-polishing 4 a long time) thinking d sleepyhead will last… Read more »
What is happening in Perak will have its effect on the country as a whole. Malaysians are not happy. Why make the people angry? Dissolve the assembly and have an election. BN will earn respect by doing this. If BN is sincere, it may even win the state election.
The people want Nizar to be the MB. They are not interested in Zambry. Zambry should realise this. Zambry is not popular at all in Perak especially after he was sworn in as MB. He should not be pushing hard to get himself become the MB of Perak. Ask the general public, 9 out 10 are asking for a fresh election. So, listen to the people and go for a fresh election. It’s as simple as that. This is democracy. The May 7 assembly is not going to resolve anything. It will only tarnish the country’s name further in the… Read more »
The usurper MB is trying to muzzle the press and control the information. This is totally against what Najib talked about free press. SO BN. Where is the walk the talk? Say one thing and do another.
Does it means Najib is going to do the opposite of his 1Malaysia ideas? Can we interpret that this is the intent.
we must explain 2 d people
d atrocities of umno/bn
they have committed enuff abuse
2 keep us talking until ge13
let d people know
n let d people decide
Looks like we now have a FlipFlop2 Prime Minister after Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. This UMNO-led Government is truly one big joke!
IF BN GOT NOTHING TO HIDE AND NOT DOING WRONG THING THEN WHY SCARE TO ALLOW THE WHOLE MEDIA AND JUST LET THEIR FRIENDLY MEDIA ONLY. HOW IF PENANG, SELANGOR, KELANTAN, KEDAH SELECT THEIR FRIENDLY MEDIA ? WE EVEN IN PAKATAN DONT WANT THIS WAY TO BE FOLLOWED. PEOPLE GIVE THEIR VOTE AND HAVE ALL THE RIGHTS TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING. BN MUST NOT FORGET THAT YOU ARE WORKING FOR PEOPLE AS PEOPLE ARE WORKING FOR THE COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT. IN OTHER COUNTRIES PEOPLE ARE GOING REALLY CRAZY AND EVEN BLAST THE MINISTERS, BUT IN OUR COUNTRY PEOPLE STILL RESPECT… Read more »
The whole world knows that NONE of these mainstream reporters have the b… to say/report anything not ear-pleasing to their bosses.They write to please their bosses,not facts, or out you go.What have these peoples done to the country and the rakyat to deserve titles year after year? Real shame.
The State Secretary…. hahahahaha
Siva, please make sure it’s there any power abusing and violations, e.g. for DUN lockdown? EC decide whether there’s resignation or not? the lists goes on, it will be in future history book!
Perak illegal UMNO/BN government To all readers, One might thought that perak has already got a new government but let’s be very clear of the “terms” we used to address this unscrupulous illegal government of their own ( I mean for UMNO/BN only). Let us all, call them a government of illegally installed UMNO/BN perak government which is not legally endorse by the perakians while, our respectable Datuk Seri IR Hj Nizar is the perak state legally endorsed MB of the perakians. Definitions of terms of used; Datuk Seri Nizar, MB of the Perak state by the perakians. Dr. Zambry,… Read more »
Leong.YK,
zambry …
Unless he felt everythings are so wrong with UMNO in PERAK !
Live or no live coverage, all perakians will vote PR.
UMNO/BN sure damned and do evrythings to capitalised situation with costs $$$ (anyway, public funds)
alvin_gov
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Fri. 1st May 2009.
Zambry, I will give you my vote in the next election (which I always gave to the opposition), if you can give a live coverage of the assembly sitting just like what is done in Penang.
Adalah sepatutnya perkara ini diserahkan kepada rakyat negeri Perak untuk memilih Kerajaan yang mana mereka sokong dengan mengadakan pilihan araya sekali lagi semua DUN negeri Perak. Tak perlu berbelanja lebih dengan mengarahkan keseluruhan pasukan polis diarahkan ke negeri Perak untuk menjaga keamanan semasa berkempen dan pilihan raya negeri. Cukuplah dengan pasukan polis setiap daerah di negeri Perak untuk menjaga keamananan semasa berkempen dan pilihan raya diadakan. Anggota polis dibayar gaji dari wang rakyat untuk menjaga keamanan dan tak perlu dberi wang tambahan lain yang membazirkan wang rakyat. Selain dari itu anggota tentera sudah ramai di negeri Perak untuk menjaga keamanan.… Read more »
The State Secretary (appears to be) an Umno supporter/sympathizer; and the Perak CPO and Ipoh OCPD (appear to be the same). They should be paid their monthly emoluments from Umno’s funds instead of from the public funds. Public servants derive their salary from public funds whilst Umno’s servants from Umno’s funds.
Truly public servants are apolitical and very impartial in their official dealings. Privately they may support any party they like but officially they exhibit utmost professionalism in consonance with their status as servants of the public; hence they are called public servants and not Umno’s servants.
dont believe his doublespeak
they have a lot 2 hide in perak
they r digging themselves
deeper into a morass
they r admitting
they r wrong
in wresting the govt
fr d people of perak…
only allow friendly media
n mainstream toiletpapers
cos no confidence
n fear
dat rakyat perak will know d truth
compare with pakatan
which wants all media
local n foreign
2 cover event
n uncover truth
Anil – because UMNO has a lot to lose and nothing to gain. So , why bother on sore losers like UMNO…. they will face the wrath of the people.
Zambry Abdul Kadir is outclassed by Nizar Jamaluddin a trillionfold – and never have Malaysians seen a Speaker of any house as forthright & fearless as Sivakumar. I salute the Pakatan members of the Perak state assembly for their strong stance against Umno/BN’s despicable machinations.
On 7 May , everyone in malaysia is looking forward to waht is actually going to happen. Those BN illegal MB and gang well known for the ‘Takut’ attitude .. They feared of facing people in the election Now they feared that Speaker Sivakumar will reject the motion or BN will illegally force Speaker to accept the motion .. Now the true colors of Zombry …. he sell auction and sell off the zambry cars, he prevent PR state assembly to attend, he do whatever he want to do like team up the the illegel state sectary .. I wonder… Read more »
ya, media freedom when it suits them.
ya, rule of law when it suits them.
such hypocrites are aplenty in UMNO.
And Najib is no different. Why should we trust what he says when clearly he doesnt walk the talk even in his early days of his rule.
anil, UMNO is just beyond redemption.
Lawan Tetap Lawan, and we shall kick out the Usurper.