Don’t ban any media from government functions, Putrajaya urged

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 ― Putrajaya should not block any media organisation from covering government events even if some outfits appear to be critical of the government, national journalism laureate Datuk Ahmad Rejal Arbee said.

Ahmad Rejal said it makes little sense to ban certain organisations from official functions when all members of the press are issued official media tags by the government.

“Once you accept these people, you accept the press...why do you want to ban them when you accredit them with (official) media cards?” he asked during a recent interview with Malay Mail Online.

Journalists and photographers from some news portals often get blocked from entering certain government buildings for functions and official press conferences, including the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Putrajaya.

Ahmad Rejal, who has headed a number of mainstream media outfits throughout his career, also said the government should not shy away from answering difficult questions posed by the press, pointing out that it is the duty of a journalist to uncover truths by asking such questions.

“Yes, they (the government) should not clamp down (on the media). I mean, if the press questions the government and these are legitimate questions or are questions that should be asked, I don’t see any reason why the government should curtail them,” he said.

The seasoned journalist said such a practice does not give a good image of the government.

He said instead avoiding tough questions or lashing out at criticism, members of the administration should try and find out why they are being criticised.

“If a sizeable number of citizens start questioning you, then you should look back in retrospect… why is there so much opposition against what I'm doing?” he said.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) administration is currently facing pressure over a number of controversies, including the multi-billion ringgit 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) saga.

The federal opposition is now seeking a no-confidence vote in Parliament against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.