The entrance to the Puteri Umno event Daulatkan Islam Agama Negara (Upholding the Sovereignty of Islam as the National Religion) at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, December 8, 2015. Non-Muslims are barred from attending the event. — Picture by Kamles Kumar

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — Non-Muslim reporters were barred today from covering the launch of an Umno event at the Putra World Trade Centre here that aimed to uphold Islam as the religion of the federation.

Security officials were posted at the entrance of the event organised by the Puteri Umno wing titled DIAN or Daulatkan Islam Agama Negara, an acronym in Bahasa Malaysia that literally translates to Upholding the Sovereignty of Islam as the National Religion to screen reporters seeking to enter the hall where Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was to officiate.

“Sir, are you Muslim or not?” one of the officials asked this Malay Mail Online reporter, who replied in the negative.

“I’m sorry this event is only open to Muslims,” he said.

He was unable to explain the reason for the sudden exclusion, saying he had received instructions from higher up.

“That I don’t know, we just are following orders. We got orders that non-Muslims cannot enter.”

Another non-Muslim reporter from a mainstream newspaper was also barred entry to the event earlier.

Contacted later, a representative of the event organiser told Malay Mail Online that the organiser has a right to impose restrictions on its coverage.

“It is the organisers right, please respect that,” said the spokesman who declined to furnish his name.

Asked for a reason for excluding non-Muslims from covering the event that was publicised as seeking to promote Islam among the younger generation, including dealing with facing threats towards Islam, the representative only said: “No specific reason, we wanted Muslims only in the hall because they understand better.

“Non-Muslims cannot because the understanding is different,” he added.