BALINEWSID.COM, DENPASAR — A coordination meeting on waste management at Suwung Landfill has come under scrutiny after journalists were denied access to cover the event, despite it being previously scheduled as open to the public.

The meeting involved officials from the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Control Agency, alongside regional leaders. According to the official invitation, media personnel were initially allowed to cover two key agendas: a meeting at the Bali Governor’s official residence, Jayasabha, at 09:00 WITA, attended by the Governor of Bali, the Mayor of Denpasar, the Regent of Badung, and members of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) Bali. The agenda was to be followed by a working visit to the Suwung Landfill at 14:30.

However, the situation on the ground diverged from the plan. Several journalists who had arrived at Jayasabha were reportedly denied entry by security officers when attempting to cover the meeting.

Chairwoman of the Indonesian Online Journalists Association (IWO) Bali Province, Tri Widiyanti, stated that media crews were effectively expelled from the location.

“An agenda that should have reflected public transparency instead turned into a closed-door event. This raises serious questions,” she told reporters.

She argued that the decision contradicts the principles of public information openness and raises concerns about the regional government’s commitment to transparency.

“Leaders—from governors and ministers to regents and even the president—are elected by the people. When the public, represented by the media, is prevented from accessing information at the governor’s official residence, it simply does not make sense,” she asserted.

The incident, she added, should serve as a critical note on the implementation of transparency within the Bali Provincial Government, particularly for agendas directly tied to public interest such as waste management.

As of press time, there has been no official statement from the Bali Provincial Government regarding the restriction of media access during the event.