Geramm condemns intimidation after Immigration guard rages at media
Media advocacy group Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) has condemned what it described as intimidation after a security guard at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in Kuala Lumpur tried to stop press coverage of long queues at the Immigration Department there.
“The matter can be resolved professionally by the Immigration Department because acts of intimidation against the media will only bring negative impact to their own organisation.
“It should be stressed that...
Media advocacy group Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) has condemned what it described as intimidation after a security guard at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in Kuala Lumpur tried to stop press coverage of long queues at the Immigration Department there.
“The matter can be resolved professionally by the Immigration Department because acts of intimidation against the media will only bring negative impact to their own organisation.
“It should be stressed that the media is responsible to provide coverage on the ground and should be facilitated or at least be given the room to do so,” it said in a statement.
A reporter from The Vibes had been interviewing people in long queues at the Immigration Department but was asked by a security guard there to leave.
The angry guard was seen yelling at the reporter and reportedly snatched her phone when he realised he was being recorded.
He later returned the phone after being chastised by members of the public.
Police report lodged
The security guard had since lodged a police report on the incident.
Dang Wangi district police chief Noor Dellhan Yahaya confirmed receiving the police report around noon today.
Meanwhile, Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman also criticised the incident.
“It is the reporter’s job to report the truth to the public. They should not be harassed.
“Any mismanagement of an agency be it public or private should be transparent and be solved not to be concealed. This is our right to information. We must do better,” he said on Twitter.
The Immigration Department has been facing challenges in processing the renewal of passports following the full reopening of the country’s borders.
The easing of Covid-19 restrictions has seen a surge in demand for international travel.
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