Sarawak journos cry foul at ‘overzealous’ EC officers

Aziz was asked to keep clear rules regarding press access in elections. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — The umbrella body for journalist associations in Sarawak is set to highlight alleged abuse during last week’s Sarawak state election to the Election Commission (EC).

President of the Federation of Sarawak Journalist Associations (FSJA), Roger Liong, said today he has been informed of alleged abuses by the commission’s returning officers in several constituencies, mainly involving their refusal to accept EC accreditation given to reporters covering the election.

Barisan Nasional retained control over the Sarawak state assembly during the Saturday poll, taking 55 out of the 71 seats available but also lost significant ground to the opposition.

Today, Liong complained that returning officers informed reporters on short notice that the passes already issued by the EC were not valid, claiming that additional documents were required before entry would be granted into key election zones.

Reporters were then reportedly instructed to reapply for the necessary documentation, which also came with additional conditions.

Media outlets, according to the FSJA chief, were restricted to two representatives each, keeping the rest out in the cold.

Liong said his federation’s complaint to the EC will also document what it called “overzealous” behaviour by election workers, who barred press photographers from coming within 100 feet of candidates during the April 6 nomination as well as during vote-tallying on the election day itself.

While urging commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof to investigate the matter, Liong also called on the EC to maintain clear guidelines for journalist movement and access during elections to avoid a repeat to such incidents in the future. - Malaysian Insider