IPOH, May 1 — Only 13 media organisations will be allowed to cover the highly-anticipated proceedings of the Perak State Legislative Assembly when it is held on May 7.
A media notice was sent out by the state Information Department to several media companies yesterday informing them of the tightened security measures.
The notice stated that only 13 media groups in the list would be allowed to cover the entire duration of the assembly from May 7 to 13.
The 13 listed are television stations RTM and BernamaTV, TV3 and newspapers The Star, New Straits Times, Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, China Press, Sin Chew Daily, Nanyang Siang Pau, Tamil Namban, Tamil Nesan and national news agency Bernama.
The notice also limited the number of media workers to two people from each organisation: one reporter and the other a photographer.
The only exceptions made were to state-owned television stations RTM, BernamaTV and Umno-linked private station TV3, which are allowed to send in three people each.
Each worker is required to fill up a form together with two passport-sized photographs and send them in directly to the state Information Office here before noon on Monday in order to get the security passes.
All other media not stated in the list would be barred from entering the state assembly hall. They are also barred from hanging out at the hallways outside the hall.
This is not the first time media workers have been required to apply for a security pass in advance. It started during the legislature's first sitting last year under Pakatan Rakyat rule.
But the measures have never been so strict.
Then, media groups were only required to pre-register for security passes with the State Secretariat, which did not set a limit on the number of workers allowed in to cover the assembly.
Several media organisations including The Star and New Straits Times have lodged complaints with Barisan Nasional menteri besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir through his press secretary.
However, their gripe is more to do with the fact that the same reporter and photographer will be obliged to cover the assembly throughout the entire sitting without replacements.

written by Kev, May 01, 2009
===
Ruling with an iron fist. I notice the absence of NTV7 in the list... hmm, not a govt. TV station, eh? See what happens when BN gets into power?
written by Jayenjr, May 01, 2009
So much for changes under "One Malaysia".
Hello, Rais Yatim.....still trying to angkat Mahathir & Najib is it?
written by Fishing Men, May 01, 2009
written by Eric, May 01, 2009
BN is going to hell and it deserves every bit of it.
written by Tun Perak, May 01, 2009
Kalau UMNO BN berani, kalau Zambry benar-benar jantan, bagi media ALTERNATIF (Bloggers) ikut sama.
Nampak sangat Zambry akan buat onar lagi.
written by jh, May 01, 2009
If u were fair
u should even allowed keadilan papers to cover ur Assembly....
But since its n Illegal assembly
Write wat oso no use
A phrase of words describe all
"U ARE NOT THE MB WE VOTED, NIZAR IS THE ONE WE VOTED"
written by Trigem, May 01, 2009
Barring him from taking the seat is controversial. But hey, the whole undemocratic grab of the Perak government is already controversial anyway. So what if they make it more controversial. With independent media being barred from covering the assembly, they can report anything "legal" they want.
One thing for sure. If Zambry thinks this will change the fate of BN for the next GE and my opinion of his administration, he is damned wrong. None of my family members and friends are going to take him favorably. He is only deepening my hatred and making my anger more ingrained toward him. There is nothing good that I speak of him from the beginning. His morality is definitely warped and concept of people-centric policy distorted. This is probably a good thing. I would be more afraid he is doing the right thing.
written by maido, May 01, 2009
http://maidoali.wordpress.com
written by Akam, May 01, 2009
BERANI KERANA BENAR. Kalau tau Sendiri salah, cepat2 lah meletak jawatan.
It is just an illegal assembly!
written by Liza Lim, May 01, 2009
Can someone send in some spies to provide 'live' coverage to the net?
It is some planned issues to hide for Malaysian to see? or it is an Illegal assembly?
written by Silly Cat, May 01, 2009
written by akee, May 01, 2009
maybe a lot of people did not notice. the MCA, the Gerakan actually dare not say much about the Backdoor Takeover. they actually bit of ashamed deep inside their conscience on this shameful clearly corrupted/betrayer act which BN is thinking they are on the God's Truth track. because of UMNO 'ketuanan melayu', the MCA/Gerakan just keep quiet (wait for allacation). they DARE NOT say they PROUD of that takeover. do they? it is a clear case (common sense) of corruption & betrayer (chinese is very 'pantang' about betraying).
written by Ari, May 01, 2009
Suicide bombers?
Only illegtimate pretenders-to-the-throne need fear the rakyat.
And they call it Dewan Rakyat!
written by DAP Need To Get Ready For UMNO's Planned Televised Fistcuffs To Embarass Chinese, May 01, 2009
Gon
written by kuli-ed, May 01, 2009
I think it is true that their pack with najis is true that their case will be drop if they "independently" support BN in perak state.
what the macc doing?
keeping "bankrupt" and "corrupted" is the what the government of the day do. real najis that collect only najis law maker. the bn supporter are also real najis to continue in supporting najis. How to progress when we have all the BN (umno) najis that is bankrupt and corrupt to manage our country. Think carefully againLAH, najis umno supporter. you want your children continue to be najis collector? bodoh
written by M.Miaw, May 01, 2009
Yet another of Najib’s breathtaking reforms. Just within the last few weeks, we were told:
1) “We dont not want Umno to be anti-intellect, anti-new ideas. Umno must lead the bridge of change and reform. This is the secret that Umno must accept” -- and now UMNO is against intellect and treat us like dumb-dumb.
2) "We must bring change and reform so that we can win the confidence and support of the people back to Umno" -- and now UMNO tries to achieve that by hiding the truth and deceiving the public.
Other than NST / UM / BH, would someone please at least tell us something closer to the truth?? Surely there's still someone reporting with a conscience there...
written by Salak, May 01, 2009
What is the State Info Dept!?
The DUN is Supreme in the State! This is the SUPPRESSION we're talking about!
Is this one of the Gambir Seller Zambry punye idea???
+++
written by Jingostarr, May 01, 2009
written by Malaysian, May 01, 2009
To the diehard Pakatan or Barisan supporters, calm down. Get the actual facts and be rational. It is not that the administration want to shut down the press. It can be seen from many MI comments that many Malaysians in this day and age have a virtual one-sided public opinion. It is amazing, isn't it? Some hardcore party supporters went as far as to snuff out valid public comments, aka, 'Lowly rated comment' as proven in this thread. If you are professing democratic practice, you are doing a great injustice to the people of Malaysia by snuffing out impartial comments. MI in this regard should prevent abuse by publishing all comments regardless of the rating. Think about it. You are in fact a harmful agent to our sacred democratic process. I will repeat again. What happened in Perak is inconsequential to Media Procedure. It is hardcore partisan support. You have the sacred voting rights to be used wisely and to be exercised with a great responsibility. Do not vote for the party. Vote for the person, either a Pakatan or Barisan candidate, who will and can do the right thing for Malaysia. You have the rights, but if you vote the devil in, either a Pakatan or Barisan member, you are destroying yourself and Malaysia in the process.
Having read many comments, it can be deduced that Malaysia is not ready for an indiscriminate open press. Read the public comments again. It is proven that you have failed yourself. Right. The current media procedure is erected to protect you and me. All members in the State Assembly sitting have many channels to voice the discrimination in the proceedings if there is any. I am wondering if there are truancy in the State Assembly as it is so blatant in our Parliament.
The media and the journalists have a great responsibility to report facts only. We do not want media distortion and sensationalism because it is harmful to our nation. The media was instrumental in removing President Richard Nixon from office. Fortunately, President Nixon and Dr Kissinger had completed their mission in laying the groundwork for a peaceful world by 1974. The Vietnam war era was a chaotic world and the nuclear threat was real.
President Nixon inauguration speech: ...... The greatest honour that can bestow a human is peace. ...... He has achieved his mission and so you and me and everyone else took for granted the global stability enjoyed by all today.
Close at home, the media and party were instrumental in removing Dr Chuah from his office. Looking at Dr Chuah track record, he knew what to do in health and medicare for Malaysia. Just imagine, when you reached the age of 70 and when you need medicare, but it is not available or cannot afford it, it is not funny at all. Isn't it? Who is the loser by being a diehard party supporter? YOU.
Propaganda and distortion must be rife in many ethnic press as proven in the many biased comments in MI. Look back at the emergency era. Malaysia has lost a generation during those tumultuous time with many working as insurgents with no purpose but created harm in so many ways. Do you want to be harmful agents in another guise that will destroy our institutions that took years to build? I believed that the comments in the following web-link has many diehard Pakatan and Barisan supporters. If you do not wake up now, that is the consequence you have to pay in the future. Always get the actual facts, consult many reliable sources and make inform decisions.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/25065-chin-peng-fails-last-bid-to-enter-malaysia
written by Martin, May 01, 2009
written by Ipoh Mali, May 01, 2009
written by Positive Thinker, May 01, 2009
written by Joebuddy, May 01, 2009
They are intend on playing dirty and want a bl;ank out of what they do.
At hours like this, I wish that the PIG FLU will infect these bastard. They are worse than swines. Look closely at Najib, does he not look like a swine?
written by amoker, May 02, 2009
written by zoomers, May 02, 2009
written by orang kampung, May 02, 2009
SPIN: A few weeks back, Najib threw a bash for journalists telling them to write with integrity and without fear.
ACTUAL & FACTUAL FACT :
- During the UMNO assembly, many ngo's bloggers were not allowed to cover the meeting.
- Recent rantings by the Information minister reveals how "open" and "transparent" the gomen is on freedom of news reporting.
- On the coming May 7th Perak Assembly, the gomen only selected pro BN media to cover the proceeding. Others are not invited at all.
Respected citizens , please make your conclusion . . .





The more they try to control, the more people will remember.
Their days are numbered and they know it! 3 / 4 years and counting down.