PUTRAJAYA, April 8 — Journalists must be given the space to carry out their duties, as long as they comply with regulations and do not violate established laws, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

Commenting on an incident in which three journalists were allegedly instructed by authorities to delete photos while covering an assignment in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Fahmi said that the incident should not have occurred if they had identified themselves as members of the media.

“I regret what has happened. Journalists must be given full space to carry out their duties. At this point, I have not been fully briefed on what transpired, but I will contact the Royal Malaysia Police to obtain clarification.

“However, in principle, journalists should be given full space to perform their duties, as long as they identify themselves as working journalists,” he said at a global energy crisis briefing and post-Cabinet meeting press conference, here, today.

Today, Gerakan Media Merdeka and the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJ) once again expressed concern over incidents involving police officers and journalists.

It was reported that three journalists from a Chinese-language daily, who were covering a follow-up report on a riot at a karaoke centre in Cheras, were instructed to delete all photos and videos taken at the scene.

Regarding the case involving harassment of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, Tan Sri Azam Baki, Fahmi, who is also the MadaniGovernment spokesperson, said he is leaving the investigation entirely to the authorities.

“I have not received any report; I have only observed what happened through press conferences or media reports. We leave it to the authorities to look into the matter, and if there are any violations, the appropriate action should be taken by the authorities,” he said.

Today, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said three individuals were arrested for allegedly being involved in a protest, which disrupted a public event attended by the MACC chief commissioner, yesterday.

According to media reports, the calm atmosphere at the Wacana Ilmiah Perdana at Dewan Tun Dr Ismail, World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, turned chaotic when a group of individuals suddenly staged a protest.

In the incident, at about 2.40 pm, two men were seen holding up mahjong papers bearing the words ‘Tangkap Azam Baki’ and ‘Azam Baki Simbol Reformati’, while the keynote address was in progress. — Bernama