No deliberate move to stop press covering Zahid’s daughter’s case, says court

Nurul Hidayah Ahmad Zahid (right) was fined RM800 for breaching the MCO while single mum B Lisa Christina was initially jailed 30 days for a similar offence but had her sentence reduced to a RM1,000 fine later.

PUTRAJAYA: The press was not barred from covering the hearing of Nurul Hidayah Ahmad Zahid and her husband who were charged with breaching the movement control order (MCO) at the magistrate’s court here yesterday, the Federal Court chief registrar’s office clarified today.

In a statement, it said members of the public were asked to vacate the courtroom to comply with the health ministry’s guidelines on social distancing but they were unaware media members were present.

It said apart from Nurul and Saiful Nizam Mohd Yusoff’s cases, other matters had been fixed before magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim.

The statement said the proceedings were attended by prosecuting officers, policemen and the public, resulting in congestion, and social distancing could not be practised.

“The court directed the public to leave the room to comply with social distancing, which is part of the standard operating procedures issued by the health ministry,” it said.

It said the court was unaware that journalists were present to cover Nurul and Saiful’s cases.

“As such, there is no issue of the press being barred from covering court proceedings. The court will ensure access to justice is given to all, including the media,” it added.

The statement came following media reports and a statement from the National Union of Journalists that sought an explanation from Putrajaya for abruptly ejecting reporters from the courtroom before Nurul and Saiful’s hearings started yesterday.

Nurul, who is the daughter of former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and Saiful were fined RM800 each by the magistrate after they pleaded guilty to the offence.

The penalty for violating the MCO is a maximum fine of RM1,000, six months’ jail or both.

On the matter of a single mother who questioned the inconsistency in the punishment meted out to her for a similar offence, the statement said the High Court had used its revisionary power to rectify the matter.

B Lisa Christina, in her now-deleted Facebook posting, had questioned why Nurul and Saiful were only fined and asked whether there were double standards.

She was initially given a 30-day jail sentence by a magistrate in Petaling Jaya but the High Court last week substituted it with a RM1,000 fine. - FMT