KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — A Barisan Nasional (BN) minister today blamed Pakatan Rakyat-led Penang state for Malaysia’s low media freedom ranking, deflecting attention from the federal government’s own record.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Penang government bans certain press from covering the state legislative assembly, in answer to a question on media freedom from an opposition MP.

He also said DAP praises Singapore freely even though the island-state’s press freedom ranking is lower than Malaysia’s.

“If we’re talking about Reporters Without Borders which says that our press freedom is poor, it’s not because of the government,” the minister said

Global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders placed Malaysia in the 147th position out of 180 countries in its 2014 press freedom index, below Myanmar.

In the previous state assembly term of between 2008 and 2012, a proposal was passed to bar Umno-linked newspaper Utusan Malaysia from entering the Penang state legislative assembly building.   No such proposal has been passed in the current term.

In June last year, a misunderstanding led to an Utusan Malaysia reporter being barred from entering the Penang state legislative assembly premises.

The Prime Minister’s Office and Umno’s headquarters, on the other hand, have banned online media several times from covering their events.

Malaysiakini journalist, Susan Loone, was also recently investigated under the Sedition Act 1948 for a report critical of the police.

Shabery also criticised today Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chien Jen for mocking on Facebook the national anthem being played in cinemas.

“This shows your party’s attitude to Negaraku when it’s played,” he said.