DCA asks media to leave conference

KUALA LUMPUR: Media members were asked to leave the conference room by Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman (pix), Director-general of the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) at an international aviation conference today.
Azharuddin, who has been a regular speaker at the daily MH370 press conference, stopped in the middle of his opening speech detailing the timeline since the disappearance of MH370, and asked if the media was present.
"I'm sorry, but is there media here? I didn't know the media was present. I'm sorry but can I ask the media to step out please?" he said at the conference held in the Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
He looked disturbed as he waited for members of the media to leave the room before continuing his speech.
After delivering his speech, he left the conference without taking any questions from the press.
Tom Ballantyne, chief correspondent for Orion Aviation who was attending the conference said Azharuddin's call for the media to step out was unnecessary.
"It was totally unnecessary. He didn't say anything that has not been reported over the past few weeks. His office was also told beforehand that the media would be here so I don't know why he suddenly stopped," he said.