Lone Utusan reporter rallies outside Penang assembly

A lone reporter from Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia protested today outside the Penang state assembly premises, saying he was barred from attending the state assemblypersons’ swearing in this morning.

Mohd Firdaus Ismail, 27 stayed outside the gates of the premises holding up a placard stating ‘Transparency is dead here’.

However, state assembly speaker and Bukit Tambun assemblyperson Law Choo Kiang said he did not issue any order to bar reporters fromUtusan Malaysia.

The assembly security had likely relied on the ruling of the previous sitting, Law said at a press conference later.

“This is a misunderstanding. We regret he has been barred, but I promise it will not happen again,” said Law.

In 2011 the Penang assembly issued a ruling to bar Utusan reporters from covering the state sittings. 

The move had ironically drawn criticism from BN leaders, who called the DAP-led Penang government hypocritical on press freedom.