Four major news portals, including Malaysiakini , were barred today from covering a press conference at BN headquarters - at Menara Dato Onn in Kuala Lumpur - which was held to name the candidate for the Kajang by-election.

The ban was imposed as part of a long-standing decision to bar major online news portal reporters from covering press conferences at Umno-BN headquarters.

Aside from Malaysiakini , the other portals denied entry were The Malay Mail Online, The Malaysian Insider and Free Malaysia Today .

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin conducted the press conference, at which former Petaling Jaya Utara MP Chew Mei Fun was named the Kajang by-election candidate.

The portals were also barred from covering the Umno supreme council meeting scheduled for 3pm at the same venue.

Malaysiakini has of late been regularly banned from covering Umno supreme council meetings, and was also barred from entering the Putra World Trade Centre to cover the incoming results of the 13th general election.

'Situation might not change'

A journalist with The Malaysian Insider , who did not want to be named, said the situation might not change for quite a while.

"I have heard the Umno members and ministers’ aides saying they will look into this matter, but at the end of the day, it has all been empty promises," the journalist said.

"I don't have great expectations (of the policy changing) and I expect them to continue like this."

The journalist also said that it was up to Umno to reflect on whether the ban was effective, because despite the ban, it is online portals that still run news stories ahead of state-sanctioned print media.

"We are still the first to publish anything. Only they (Umno) will know if the ban is rational," the journalist said.

On the other hand, it was previously reported that TV3 and Utusan Malaysia had been banned from attending a press conference at PKR headquarters as well.

Earlier this year, Malaysiakini was also barred from attending another Muhyiddin press conference, on the price hikes.

Malaysiakini was told last December that it was barred from covering any event within the vicinity of the Home Ministry building in Putrajaya.