The government's statement that Al Jazeera's recent documentary on migrant workers requires permission from the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) is "alarming" as it has far-reaching consequences on other media organisations, said the Foreign Correspondents Club of Malaysia (FCCM).

"While we respect the laws of the land and the discretion of the authorities to investigate any alleged breaches, we are concerned with this development given that media in Malaysia has been allowed to operate and perform coverage of events within the bounds of accreditation set by the Information Department and the law.

"Various news documentaries have been produced by and aired on television channels both local - including state media - and foreign, without this issue ever...