Malaysiakini barred entry: Perak state secretariat lockdown, again
Security would be severely tightened at the Perak state secretariat building during the crucial state assembly sitting next month, from May 6 until May 11.
The state secretariat building, which houses the assembly hall and government offices, would be off-limits to members of the public during the duration.
Floors with access to the state assembly hall will also be off-limits to state secretariat staff that do not possess special permission.
The police would be cordoning off the building, while only a small number of journalists and three television crews would be allowed to cover assembly proceedings, which starts on May 7.
This is the second lockdown in three months. The first was to prevent an emergency sitting called by speaker V Sivakumar from being convened, resulting in the sitting being held under the now famous ‘democracy tree’.
Malaysiakini barred entry
Contacted today, state secretariat corporate and public relations department senior officer Noor Aniza Mansor said the move was ordered by state secretary Abdul Rahman Hashim.
Noor Aniza said that only those accredited by the state government would be allowed to enter the assembly hall.
“This is the state secretary’s directive to ensure a smooth meeting,” she said.
On the decision to limit the number of press personnel covering the assembly, Noor Aniza said only representative from “main media” are allowed entry.
However, entry is limited to only two journalists per organisation, except for state-owned RTM and TV3 who would be allowed to admit three personnel each.
Noor Aniza also said that all Internet-based media organisations, including Malaysiakini, would not be granted permission to enter the hall.
Pakatan will attend
The stage is now set for a May 7 legislative assembly showdown between the new Barisan Nasional government and speaker V Sivakumar, who BN is trying to replace.
In a related development, ousted Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin has confirmed that Pakatan Rakyat state representatives would attend the assembly, albeit under protest, since notices for the assembly were issued without consent of the speaker.
“We will attend the assembly, out of respect to the speaker… We will be there to honour whatever decision the speaker makes,” he told reporters today, according to Star Online.
To a question, Nizar said that Pakatan would still sit on the right side of the speaker, reserved for the government members, and will not recognise BN as the legitimate government.
A suit filed by Nizar which will determine the rightful menteri besar of the state is pending at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
Kuek Ser Kuang Keng & Andrew Ong, Mkini
