The media were tonight barred from covering the public hearing on crime held by the Parliamentary Human Rights Caucus in Petaling Jaya's Civic Hall.

When the hearing kicked off at 8.30pm with about 200 participants in attendance, Kelana Jaya MP Loh Seng Kok went up the podium of Auditorium MBPJ to request all journalists to leave the hall.

He said that the inquiry was a closed-door affair. Notices announcing that the public hearing was off limits to the media were also posted at the entrance of the hall. No reasons were given.

The public hearing was attended by chairperson of the caucus and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

It is also believed that Nazri had earlier in the day sent a note to media organisations (not to malaysiakini) regarding the closed-door hearing, requesting them not to cover the event.

Some parties uncomfortable

"The meeting has to be closed-door so that some parties will not be uncomfortable due to media reports," Nazri told the public hearing.

The ban on media also affects a public hearing slated to be held in Penang this Sunday.

The first hearing was held in Johor last Sunday where the media was allowed to cover.

It was reported to be a heated meeting.

Some 500 frustrated Johor residents lambasted the government for not taking any serious actions in combatting the rising crime levels there.