KUALA LUMPUR: A Pas man today claimed that the Information Department (JaPen) under the purview of the Communications and Digital Ministry has revoked the media passes of reporters from its official mouthpiece, Harakah.
While using a moniker associated with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Pas information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said this was the first time that the publication had received such letters from the department since the former premier's administration.
"I acknowledge the warning given by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this morning on Harakah, however, we received a letter today from the department saying that the media passes for our reporters have been revoked.
"This is an incident that we have never experienced since the time of 'mahazalim' previously," he said during his debate session on the 2024 Supply Bill at the committee level in Dewan Rakyat, today.
Fadhli's claim, however, was lambasted by RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) who enquired whether Harakah's debts had been settled: "Has Harakah's debt been settled, has it been settled?" said Rayer.
To this, Fadhli shot back and said the matter was now under the court's jurisdiction.
"The issue is already in court and being discussed. I don't understand Jelutong, where did he study law and did he take SPM? How is he a lawyer?"
An argument then broke out between both the government and opposition blocs but was stopped by Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul who issued a warning to Rayer.
In 2019, Pas secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan revealed that Harakah had accumulated debt with its former printing company, NAJ Press Resources (M) Sdn Bhd.
The Islamist party is now awaiting the court's decision on outstanding payments to its former printers amid criticism from the printing companies over the party's failure to settle the debt related to Harakah.