Rumour mill on overdrive before PM’s media event

KUALA LUMPUR: The media showed up in full force at Umno headquarters to hear what party president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s press conference was about.

Some were expecting the Prime Minister to announce that Parliament would be dissolved for the 14th general election (GE14).

Others anticipated that a cooperation agreement between PAS and Selangor Umno would be announced.

Invitations to Najib’s press conference yesterday were issued to all supreme council members, further fuelling talk that Najib was going to make a big announcement at the 4.45pm press conference.

More than 100 reporters and photographers, including those from foreign news agencies, gathered in the lobby of Menara Dato Onn from as early as 3pm in the hope of covering the event.

Policemen were on hand to ensure no untoward incidents.

Umno officials then told the media that only a limited number of journalists from selected local media organisations would be allowed up.

Journalists who were allowed onto the 39th floor where the press conference was to be held were also given very strict and repeated instructions not to broadcast the conference live, in any form.

Requests by several media outlets to do a Facebook Live broadcast were flatly denied.

Najib caused a minor stir in the room when he started the conference by speaking about his audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Friday night.

This further ratcheted up speculation by many there that he was about to announce GE14.

However, he went on to say that the audience was about the King’s concern over the deadly fire at the religious school in Datuk Keramat.

At the end of the conference, Najib told the press: “Let’s put on hold questions about the general election”.