Media Strikes Back - Boycotts Press Conferences

At a time when the media should be given access to information so that they can write the truth to keep the public informed, the Malaysian Parliament decided to restrict their access to one section of the House. The Parliament lobby, from which many great news pieces have been filed, was yesterday cordoned off and journalists were given a small area.

On Friday,a new ruling limiting only five reporters from each media organisations to cover Parliament proceedings was imposed due to security reasons.

As a result, the media struck back with a boycott of press conferences - two press conferences by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and one by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi were only covered by the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), Radio Televisyen Malaysia, TV3, Berita Harian and foreign wires personnel.

Considering the live transmission of Parliamentary proceedings made earlier this year via national television, the current ruling is indeed perplexing. The Parliamentary administration shuld perhaps explain its recent action, especially at a time when greater transparency is demanded of the government.

The latest piece on the boycott is that Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has urged media personnel to cease boycotting parliamentarians following their being denied entry into Parliament's lobby. He added that the media should be given ample opportunities to cover parliamentary going-ons.

And one hopes that the going-ons include those at the lobby.