Dewan Rakyat speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof hoped media practitioners covering the ongoing sitting can safeguard and uplift the image of the country’s Parliament.

He said the media played an important role in ensuring the image of Parliament was being respected by foreign countries by always maintaining order while on duty in the premises of the country’s highest legislative body.

“There is no country in which its journalists can sit at will in their Parliament lobby. So I urge media practitioners to cooperate in addressing the problem and ensure the atmosphere in the Parliament lobby is always conducive and under control,” he said.

At the special meeting with editors from the print and electronic media at the Parliament building today, Ariff said since the sitting convened last week, Parliament had withdrawn several rules on media practitioners, including the ban from being in the lobby as well as quota for media presence.

He said Parliament had also implemented several temporary changes, including providing a special media conference room in the lobby for the convenience of media practitioners to interview and field questions to the Members of Parliament.

"Although I and my deputies are optimistic in maintaining and allowing the media in the Parliament lobby, without the cooperation from the media, I am afraid the facility will be withdrawn if the media (people) continue not to comply to rules and regulations set,” he said.

At the event, Ariff also expressed his appreciation to the media practitioners for their support and said the existing close ties could be enhanced.

- Bernama