Umno procrastinates M'kini's media pass for AGM

Malaysiakini is still waiting for approval to cover the Umno annual general assembly which will start next Tuesday although 29 other media organisations have already been allowed.

Online news portal The Malaysian Insider was also not given official permission to cover the event yet.

Umno had also disallowed online news media Merdeka Review and The Nut Graph to cover the assembly last March.

Malaysiakini had made the application for media credentials on Sept 14.

Meanwhile, The Nut Graph which made the application at the end of September, has so far not got any information from the party.

However, Merdeka Review did not apply this time.

Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (right), Umno secretary-general, was reluctant to approve the media passes earlier because he claimed that the web news portals "did not report in a fair and balanced manner."

However, Umno has not decided conclusively to let Malaysiakini and other web based news portals to cover the event next week.

‘Sensational issues'

"I do not want to give my comment with regards to that issue. I just want media like yours to be fair and balanced in your reporting.

"If you are not fair, and you sensationalise the issues, you may not be allowed to come," he said after a news conference in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

He was asked if Umno will prohibit Malaysiakini and other internet news portals like he did during the Umno party elections held during the 2008 AGM which was held last March.

"We have not decided on that matter," he added.

Malaysiakini conducted a check after the news conference and found it was not included in the list of media organisations that was approved by Umno to cover the event.

At the media conference, Tengku Adnan (right) explained that there will be 4,918 delegates including Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri from 191 Umno divisions who will gather at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) for four days beginning Oct 31.

This year's AGM will be combined with the EGM, which will be held for one day on Oct 15 - after the president's opening speech, to discuss the constitutional amendments.

Veep unaware of media restriction

In an immediate reaction, Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein said he was not aware that online media were banned from covering the party meeting next week.

He however added that he was not in the position to answer as he was only in charge of the constitutional amendments, resolutions and policy speeches.

"That question could only be answered by Umno headquarters (whose officials in charge of media passes)," Hishammuddin said.

When asked whether he supported or objected the ban, he replied: "To be honest, you caught me off guard. I assume you all will be there (to cover the event)".

Umno clubs not invited

Meanwhile, Tengku Adnan also clarified that Umno's administration has decided not to invite foreign representatives to attend the assembly.

The party's administration, he said has also asked Umno club members from abroad not to return.

He said that the decision was made because the party had just completed its AGM for 2008 last March.

Tengku Adnan also explained that only two motions will be debated at the assembly.

The motions are to amend the party constitution that will abolish the quota system in nominations and to increase the total number of representation to more than 100,000 people at divisional level to elect the leadership.

Making Umno youth friendly

"These measures will make Umno more cohesive and youth friendly," he said. "All the delegates from each state and the three wings of the party who want to debate the motion will be given 15 minutes each and the EGM is expected to end at 4pm before the AGM starts," he said.

"The debate on the president's policies will continue the next day (Oct 16)," Tengku Adnan said.

Before that, opening of the AGM for the party's three wings - Wanita, Pemuda, Puteri will be held on Oct 13 (Thursday) by the Umno Deputy Presiden, Muhiddin Yassin at Dewan Merdeka at 8pm.

It will be followed by each respective AGM the next day (Oct 14) starting from 8.30am.

Tengku Adnan said that in this assembly the focus will be on the Malaysia logo, in which it will be displayed on the representatives' bags.

[With additional reporting by Rahmah Ghazali]