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Umno lifts media restrictions for AGM, sec-gen announces
Published:  Nov 26, 2015 2:11 PM
Updated: 10:16 AM

The media will be allowed to cover the UMNO General Assembly next month after all.

Party secretary-general Tengku Adnan Mansor said today the decision was made to retain press coverage following feedback from the grassroots who wanted the proceedings to be broadcast live.

"We received plenty of feedback from around the country. We listened to their (grassroots') views and decided to maintain the usual press coverage.

"We will allow press coverage because our party is the backbone of the government," he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, as reported by Bernama .

Tengku Adnan had said yesterday that this year's Umno general assembly scheduled for Dec 8 to 12 would be a closed-door meeting without press coverage to prevent the media from twisting facts.

He was also quoted by Berita Harian saying there will be tight restrictions against several media groups, including those barred from covering the event last year.

Malaysiakini was not granted media passes to cover the event last year, and cannot register for passes this year.

The portal is also barred from attending Umno supreme council press conferences at the Umno headquarters.

"Media coverage will go on as usual. It's just that we don't want any media to twist facts in their reports. This will offend people who are sensitive to this," he said, according to the Malay daily.

Wing assemblies not by Muhyiddin

Meanwhile, Bernama also reported he party supreme council decided at a meeting two days ago that the 2015 general assemblies of the wanita, youth and puteri wings would be opened by their respective chiefs instead of the deputy president.

Asked about the deputy president's speech during the winding-up session, Tengku Adnan said no decision had been made yet on the matter.

By convention, before the president's winding-up speech, the chiefs of the wings, vice-presidents, and deputy president will address the assembly.

Tengku Adnan said he was of the opinion that the winding-up would suffice with the president's speech.

"In my opinion, the mandate can be given to the president to wind up without the need for the others (to speak)," he said.

On the sacking of Gopeng Wanita Umno chief Hamidah Osman from the party, Tengku Adnan said Hamidah had appeared at an opposition platform.

"We received feedback that she had been on the opposition platform and, as such, we have to take action.

"She can appeal," he said in the Bernama article.

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