Raise issues at meeting with PM, Hindraf told

Hindraf "should not set pre-conditions" before agreeing to meet Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

This is because any demands it has can be raised during the meeting itself, said Ahmad Maslan(extreme left in photo), the deputy minister in Prime Minister’s Department.

“Ideally there is no need to set conditions. The matter can be discussed at the meeting ... they haven’t met, but are already setting conditions. There is no need for that,” he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Hindraf had sought the lifting of the ban on the movement, imposed in 2007, before accepting Najib’s invitation to meet.

Ahmad’s view echoes that of MIC secretary-general S Murugesan, who said there would be no point in holding a meeting if pre-conditions are set.

‘Parliament ban on non-MPs is okay’

On a separate matter, Ahmad said the ban on the use of the media corner in the Parliament lobby for press conferences by non-parliamentarians is not an infringement of democracy.

He said that opposition MPs have abused the facility to the point that reporters cannot focus on the debate in the House, and there are “a million other places” where press conferences could be held.

“If they want to hold a press conference on party affairs, why do they need to use Parliament? They have their party headquarters.

“If they want NGOs to be present, they too have their own offices, or they could use hotels.”

Last Thursday, 76 reporters and photographers had submitted a petition to protest the use of the media corner by non-MPs, who are usually accompanied by Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers.

Malaysiakini staff did not sign the petition.

Those who signed it argued that the marathon press conferences had nothing to do with parliamentary affairs and only distract them from their work.

Following this, Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia announced the ban, but said this had nothing to do with the petition.