The unfair press coverage on PAS 51st muktamar by the mainstream media has prompted a Kedah delegate to suggest that the media be barred from covering the annual party convention.

Amiruddin Hamzah took the rostrum just before delegates were about to confirm the party's annual reports and urged the leadership to seriously consider holding the muktamar behind closed-door.

"All (90) Kedah delegates had a meeting yesterday evening and we unanimously agreed to put forward this suggestion for the muktamar to be held without the presence of the media," he said, much to the surprise of party leaders seated at the front.

The party should instead hold a press conference at the end of the day where the leaders would announce to the media whatever decisions made during the meeting, he added.

However, the suggestion was shot down as quickly as it was brought up when the party's permanent chairperson Abu Kassim Abdullah dismissed the suggestion after a brief discussion with secretary general Nasharuddin Mat Isa.

In making the suggestion, Amiruddin who is also Anak Bukit state assemblyperson pointed out that it was upsetting to learn that the mainstream media seemed to 'take advantage' of the issues raised by delegates during the muktamar .

Privy to party matters

"This is a meeting where members raise internal problems, criticize and challenge each other and I believe that the media should not be privy to what we are saying."

"Some of the issues raised by delegates are only hearsay evidence and it was raised to seek clarifications but the media will only sensationalise them (but not the clarification)."

"Last year, we had a report which stated that the youths had slammed the leaders. This year we saw the report PAS tolak Anwar (PAS rejects Anwar). I think we should not allow this to happen," he said.

He was referring to a front-page report in Malay daily Berita Harian quoting a youth delegate from Penang opposing the party's policy to work closely with former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

In rejecting the suggestion, Abu Kassin said PAS had never stopped the media from attending and covering the muktamar and it has not intention to do so now.

"The media had been around since our first muktamar 50 years ago. We never stopped them from covering the meeting and we don't plan to do so now. If we stop the media from coming in, they can always enter as observers. So we might as well allow them in.

"As to the misleading reports, we are all matured politicians and are able to distinguish between right and wrong. So the proposal is rejected and the media is allowed to cover the event," the permanent chairperson declared.

Many back idea

The quick rejection however did not stop Amiruddin from taking the suggestion further stating that many delegates had expressed their support to the idea.

"Many share the same view on the matter and I believe that this is the best thing to handle unethical reports on PAS. I have yet to see a fair report on the party. We will discuss with the relevant people on how we should take this further," he said when met later.

He stressed that this is not a personal attack against the media but rather to contain the negative perception the public has on PAS spurred by the unfair reporting on the muktamar.

Amiruddin also denied that the proposal - if allowed in the future - would depict PAS as anti-transparent.

"We are not anti-transparent. But at the same time, we should not wash our dirty linens in public. This is not to say that our linens are too dirty for the public. But if the media gives us equal space to clarify the reports, then perhaps we may change our stand," he said.