PARLIAMENT | The government has revoked Harakah’s official media pass, said PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari to the Dewan Rakyat today, condemning the action.
Fadhli (Perikatan Nasional-Pasir Mas) said the PAS-owned publication received a letter from the Information Department earlier today, requesting its reporters to return their media passes.
“We accepted when the prime minister reproached Harakah (during the Dewan Rakyat session) this morning.
“But today, Harakah also received a letter from the Information Department, saying they are recalling media passes from Harakah reporters.
“Harakah has never experienced such action. Even when the country was under the ‘Maha Zalim’ era, the government never revoked its media pass,” he said this evening during a committee stage debate on the Budget 2024 bill.
By ‘Maha Zalim’, it was understood that the PAS leader referred to when Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister.
Without media passes, Harakah journalists will be unable to enter government premises such as Parliament to report on events there.
While Fadhli did not elaborate on why Harakah was punished, Malaysiakini learned the action had to do with an article published by the PAS mouthpiece yesterday.
According to a copy of the Information Department letter sighted by Malaysiakini, the authority cited a Nov 6 article that alleged the government of being “timid” in its support for the Palestinian cause.
The article titled ‘Malaysia Di Bawah Anwar Ragu-Ragu Sokong Palestin?’ (Is Anwar-led Malaysia’s support for Palestine doubtful?) quoted PAS ulama chief Ahmad Yahaya (PN-Pokok Sena).
In it, Ahmad claimed the government has started to change its tone in regard to Palestine freedom fighters to follow the narrative set by Israel and the West.
Harakah also published a set of photos to accompany the article, which showed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim with an Israeli flag behind him while Ahmad had the Palestine flag on his side.
The Information Department, which is an agency under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, stated that the report violated journalism ethics for publishing “unfounded accusations” and ordered Harakah to return all its media passes by tomorrow.
Earlier today, Anwar during the Prime Minister’s Question Time in Parliament criticised the way Harakah was trying to link him to Israel.
He also slammed Ahmad as biadab (insolent) for alleging that Putrajaya is being timid in its stand on the Palestinian cause and stressed that the government was always clear in supporting Palestine. - Mkini
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