This follows multiple complaints from journalists of not getting invited for the weekly press conferences in the Prime Minister’s Office.

In a statement, Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) said the government should ensure that all journalists had equal access to the press conferences so that they could pose questions to the prime minister or his Cabinet.

“The previous administration had used Covid-19 as an excuse to restrict journalists’ presence, aside from official media like Bernama and RTM, but that excuse is no longer applicable.

“Although not every media agency has a representative in Putrajaya, a journalist would surely be assigned for the press conference if needed.

“We stress that the media has the right to ask questions, which the government has the right to choose to answer or not,” it said.