UMNO AGM | Umno has denied that the delayed broadcast of its annual general assembly was aimed at censoring the debates of certain delegates. 

According to Umno information chief Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, the delays are only intended to ensure a more orderly spread of information.

"You still can obtain all the information, and you can interview the delegates (who participated in the debate)," he said when visiting the media centre, which was set up for reporters to cover the assembly.

Members of the media were only allowed to enter the main hall during the opening session of the assembly, which saw keynote addresses from Umno's central leadership as well as the chiefs of the Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings. 

Reporters were relegated to the media centre when the delegates' debates began. 

In past years, approved members of the press were allowed to enter the hall, and even rent earphones to listen to the debates.

This year, even media outlets previously barred from covering the assembly, including Malaysiakini, were allowed to access the media centre, which contains three television screens on which the debates are broadcast.

But the broadcast was occasionally delayed between 30 minutes to an hour, with speeches made the day before sometimes shown on repeat – leading to speculation that certain delegates' speeches were being censored.

As Shamsul explained, Umno did not put any gag orders on any particular issue, nor has it stopped members from criticising the party's leaders.

However, delegates seemed to steer clear of certain issues, like 1MDB and other major financial scandals. 

For the record, Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki had requested that members of the press be allowed to enter the hall to observe the wing's debates.