Published: Wednesday October 22, 2008 MYT 2:37:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday October 22, 2008 MYT 2:47:33 PM

Berita Harian banned from Kelantan state assembly

By IAN McINTYRE

KOTA BARU: Kelantan Legislative Speaker Mohd Nassuruddin Daud (PAS-Meranti) on Wednesday suspended representatives of Berita Harian from covering assembly proceedings after the Malay daily did not apologise for alleged “gross misreporting.”

On Tuesday, Zainuddin Awang Hamat (PAS-Kemuning) called on Mohd Nassuruddin to bar journalists from the paper from reporting on the seven-day Budget sitting.

Zainuddin claimed that a report published by the paper on Tuesday on the Sultan of Kelantan being angry with the state government was grossly inaccurate and said it was a deliberate attempt to smear the Kelantan government.

Mohd Nassuruddin granted Berita Harian 24 hours to issue an apology, which it had yet to do.

Under Section 14 of the Assembly’s Standing Orders, the Speaker has the right to remove or refrain any media organisation from attending and reporting on proceedings, Mohd Nassuruddin told the House.

“I went through the paper (on Wednesday) and did not see any apology, so I am invoking the Section 14 clause. Representatives of the paper are hereby not allowed to attend or report on the proceedings,” he said ruled.

The sole Berita Harian journalist covering the Assembly, Khairul Anuar Abdul Samad, was peacefully escorted out by security officers.

A bemused Khairul told his fellow journalists that he accepted the decision but added that he was distrubed by the ruling.

“We are just doing our duty to report and we report on news important to the people. The decision actually hurts the state government more than us,” he said.

Kelantan Press Club president Wan Zulkifli Wan Yaacob said news organisations have to respect the ruling made by the Speaker. Nevertheless, he hoped state assemblymen would not hold any grudges against journalists who are just performing their duty.

“We report but we are not empowered to decide how headlines are composed. I hope the people understand the roles and functions of our comrades,” Wan Zulkifli said.

He also said the club plans to lead a delegation to pay a courtesy call on Mohd Nassuruddin to clarify and clear the air over the matter.

State Opposition leader Datuk Md Alwi Che Ahmad (BN-Kok Lanas) described the move as extreme, saying PAS does not understand the freedom of the press.

“I also wonder why other media practitioners are mute when it comes to the Opposition making such rulings.

“When Parliament barred photographers from snapping photos and mistakenly restricted journalists to one corner, there was a hue and cry, but this time they remain quiet,” he said.

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