KUALA LUMPUR – The health minister’s press secretary has come under fire from a group of journalists for his alleged “unprofessional” behaviour during a press conference in Putrajaya yesterday.
The Putrajaya Media Club in a statement said it received complaints from media practitioners regarding Nik Azmi Nik Fathil, who among other things, had interrupted the press conference by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad after the launch of the 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey in Putrajaya yesterday.
The club said Nik Azmi had interrupted the minister while he was answering a reporter’s question and said he would answer it later on behalf of the ministry.
The group also said Nik Azmi had behaved rudely when reporters sought clarification and additional information on statistics released in the survey.
“His action of disparaging media practitioners who want to get clarification and additional information in terms of statistics related to the programme is totally unacceptable.
“For the Putrajaya Media Club, the request for additional information is justified, not to mention that it involves research results that demand accurate figures.
“Media practitioners are always required to be ethical and to present the correct facts in reporting; however, if this is the reaction (we get in return), it interferes with our job to present authentic and quality reporting to the public.”
The media club added that Nik Azmi’s behaviour had offended journalists present, some of whom had over two decades of working in the industry, as this was the first time they had encountered such behaviour from a press secretary.
“Is this a new administration procedure where the press secretary can answer on behalf of the minister during a press conference?” it asked.
The media club stressed that mutual and complementary relationships between media practitioners and press secretaries to ministers were very important in publishing information, especially on government policies, initiatives and achievements, to the public, as well as for proper checks and balances.
Nik Azmi meanwhile, has apologised to the media.
In a message to the press hours after the Putrajaya Media Club’s statement, he said “it won’t happen again”.
“I believe that I owe an apology to you and your team for the unfortunate incident earlier.
“Please accept my apologies and best wishes to you and your team. I am always thankful for the services rendered by media practitioners to bring good reporting to the people of Malaysia,” he said. – May 17, 2024