Umno apologises to media over incident at Pahang convention

Umno information chief Annuar Musa says the party needs the cooperation of the media and understands they are professionals with a duty to perform.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno today apologised to the media representatives in Pahang over an incident during the closing of the State Umno Convention in Kuantan last Saturday.

Umno information chief Annuar Musa said media representatives were professionals and should be given room to discharge their duties professionally.

“On behalf of Umno Malaysia, I apologise to (my media) friends who were on duty on that day who were hurt by the incident.

“Although it was a matter involving Pahang Umno, it was a party function and I, as the information chief, am not happy with what happened,” he said in a post on the Umno official website, umno-online.my.

The incident, where media representatives were allegedly ordered to leave the event, went viral and drew the attention of the National Union of Journalists which sought an apology from Pahang Umno.

Expressing disappointment over what had happened, Annuar said the party needed the cooperation of the media and understood that they were professionals with a duty to perform.

“However, human beings can make mistakes,” he said, adding that he hoped that the issue would not prolong and he would strive to find an amicable solution.

Elaborating, Annuar said the convention was a closed-door event attended by Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein, but there was a misunderstanding between Pahang Umno and the media representatives.

He said it was a closed-door event but the media representatives had invitations to attend the closing ceremony.

“The reporters did not make any mistake. There might have been a misunderstanding and harsh words were uttered which hurt the feelings of the journalists.” -FMT