Malaysiakini was today barred from the official opening of the 1 Malaysia Development Bhd headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Communications head Robert Ho said the company had not invited the online news portal to cover the event, and that the venue was too small to accommodate all the journalists who had turned up.

Representatives of Merdeka Review also faced similar difficulties, but were allowed to enter after they protested.

1 Malaysia Development Bhd was formerly the Terengganu Investment Authority which managed and invested the state's oil royalty.

NONE Premier Najib Abdul Razak transformed it to a government sovereign fund, which serves as a catalyst for long-term sustainable economic development, advocating his new economic model for innovation, creativity and high value for Malaysia.

Security was tight, with reporters being required to get a media tag at the lobby before proceeding to the company premises on the 8th floor of the IMC Tower in Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Journalists were divided into two groups - those attached to the business desk and general news sections of their organisations.

While the business reporters were allowed to cover the opening ceremony on the 8 th floor, general news reporters were guided to a room on the 6th floor to wait for the press conference.

Explanation disputed

After checking the government-issued media tag of the Malaysiakini reporter against the invitation list, Ho said: "We did not invite Malaysiakini ."

When asked why Merdeka Review - which was not listed either - was allowed access, he claimed that it had made a prior request to cover the event.

However, Merdeka Review reporter Ong Vic Kee denied this, saying that she and her colleague had been initially blocked for the same reason.

"Later, some reporters from the mainstream media were allowed to enter, even though they did not produce their official tag. So we protested and they allowed us to enter," she said.

Malaysiakini tried to meet with Ho again but, through his subordinate, he told the reporter to leave.

1 Malaysia Development Bhd was scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding with the State Grid Corporation of China, after Najib officiated the opening ceremony.