Parliament limits media houses for Budget 2021 coverage

 

Parliament administrators have ruled that only 15 media organisations are allowed to cover the upcoming Dewan Rakyat sitting which begins on Nov 2.

The stated reason for this ruling was to curb the spread of Covid-19 and fulfil standard operating procedures set by the authorities.

All approved media organisations are only allowed one reporter and either one photographer or videographer.

These media personnel must also undergo RT-PCR swab tests on Oct 30 and present the test results on Nov 2.

The approved media organisations are as follows:

1. RTM
2. Bernama
3. TV Al-hijrah
4. TV3
5. New Straits Times
6. Berita Harian
7. Astro Awani
8. Utusan Malaysia
9. Sinar Harian
10. The Star
11. The Sun
12. Sin Chew Daily
13. Nanyang Siang Pau
14. Malaysia Nanban
15. Channel News Asia

Media organisations that are not listed are advised to make arrangements with government-owned RTM and Bernama.

The Parliament's administration had allocated four places to organisations owned by Media Prima Bhd (TV Al-hijrah, TV3, NST and Berita Harian) and two places to Sin Chew Media Group (Sin Chew Daily and Nanyang Siang Pau).

Not a single media organisation that operates exclusively online, including this organisation, was on the list.

Contacted later, Azhar apologised for not being able to accommodate more media organisations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are operating under really strict CMCO and Covid SOP. The journalist place can only accommodate about 60 while there are about 130 of you.

“It really is a hard decision. I am sorry but that is the constraint that we have. Even Sabah MPs have to be quarantined. That is the reality,” he told Malaysiakini.

Media coverage allowance for this sitting is much stricter from the last which began in July, whereby there was a cap on the maximum number of staff members from each organisation, but no limit on the number of organisations itself.

This sitting is crucial as Budget 2021 will be tabled on Nov 6 and a vote will be called on Nov 23.

The vote would determine whether or not Muhyiddin Yassin commands majority support to continue on as prime minister. - Mkini