Perak MB: Decision to limit newsmen to ensure comfort

IPOH: The decision to limit the number of reporters covering the State Assembly on Thursday is to ensure the comfort of pressmen covering the event.
Posting on his new blog www.zambry.com here on Sunday, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the number of people expected to attend this sitting would be overwhelming.
”But in the name of media freedom, I have asked the Information Department to allow all mainstream media including vernacular presses to cover the assembly,” he said in the posting, which was posted at 5.42pm.
Dr Zambry added that the approval for coverage would also be given to representatives from some new media as well as bloggers.
”I believe in freedom of the press and it is unfair to stop any mainstream media including Harian Metro and Kosmo! to report on the sitting,” he added.
He stressed that the directive to limit the number of reporters covering the sitting did not come from his office.
While press freedom should not be misconstrued as a power to write false news, Dr Zambry added that the Perak Barisan Nasional had been receiving unfair reporting since February.

Perak Speaker assures media coverage

IPOH: All media organisations will be allowed to cover the proceedings of the Perak State Assembly sitting this Thursday.
The decision was made by Perak State Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar in a statement issued here today.
He said media organisations were, however, required to submit written applications to the Speaker's Office at Level 2, Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan from 9am tomorrow.
"I'll issue the permission letters to the media organisations at my own discretion, as provided under the Perak State Assembly Standing Order 84," he added.
Sivakumar said he was issuing the ruling to safeguard the principles of democracy and freedom of the press.
"There is no reason to bar any media organisations from covering the sitting. The people have the right to know the antics of their elected representatives during the State Assembly sitting," he added.
Prior to this, the state Information Department, in a letter dated April 30, had said only 13 media organisations including major TV channels and newspapers would be allowed to cover the State Assembly sitting.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir is expected to call for a press conference tomorrow to clarify the matter. - Bernama
IPOH: All media organisations will be allowed to cover the proceedings of the Perak State Assembly sitting this Thursday.

tunku : i think there's no reason to limit the news organizations.yes, you can limit the representatives to only 2 from each media.glad to hear from zambry and the state secretary that they won't barred the medias andto the extend that some bloggers will get the chance to cover the assembly.. hope all the medias will report with full responsibility and reports only the truth , don't reports false news or spin something out of nothing.