Journalists were stopped this morning from entering the Parliament compound to cover the Public Accounts Committee's (PAC) hearing into 1MDB, at which 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy is slated to testify today.
Police on duty at the main gate to the Parliament complex told the media that they were not allowed to enter the compound today.
"This is the instruction from the highest authority. I don't know the reason," a policeman said when asked by the startled journalists.
The media personnel were forced to park their vehicles outside and wait under the hot sun.
Malaysiakini sent a query to PAC chairperson Hasan Ariffin by SMS as to why the journalists have been barred and Hasan is yet to reply.
However, PAC deputy chairperson Dr Tan Seng Giaw has confirmed that Hasan did not agree to allowing members of the mass media in the Parliament building.
This came after Hasan confirmed that the PAC would not get a copy of auditor-general's final report on 1MDB today.
PAC has never before, under the chairmanship of Nur Jazlan Mohamed, barred reporters from covering press conferences.
Today is the second time Arul Kanda (photo) is being called before PAC to testify on the scandal-mired 1MDB issue.
The last time he appeared before the PAC was Dec 1, and he was grilled for five hours.
[More to follow]
-Mkini
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