Perak MB: Decision to limit newsmen to ensure comfort

(The Star) IPOH: The decision to limit the number of reporters covering the State Assembly on Thursday is to ensure the comfort of pressmen covering the event.

Posting on his new blog www.zambry.com here on Sunday, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the number of people expected to attend this sitting would be overwhelming.

”But in the name of media freedom, I have asked the Information Department to allow all mainstream media including vernacular presses to cover the assembly,” he said in the posting, which was posted at 5.42pm.

Dr Zambry added that the approval for coverage would also be given to representatives from some new media as well as bloggers.

”I believe in freedom of the press and it is unfair to stop any mainstream media including Harian Metro and Kosmo! to report on the sitting,” he added.

He stressed that the directive to limit the number of reporters covering the sitting did not come from his office.

While press freedom should not be misconstrued as a power to write false news, Dr Zambry added that the Perak Barisan Nasional had been receiving unfair reporting since February.