A SPECIAL body to protect and be the voice of media practitioners in the country needs to be established, said the Malaysian-Indonesian Journalists’ Association (Iswami) president Mokhtar Hussain.
He said it has been the talk of media practitioners in the country for a long time, but it has yet to become a reality.
“There are many (media-related) associations in Malaysia but none function as an ‘umbrella’ body.
“It is time to create a body that can be a voice (to media practitioners),” he said, in his welcoming speech at the National Media Forum in conjunction with National Journalists Day (Hawana) 2022 in Banda Hilir here today.
The Hawana 2022 celebration, themed “Suara Jelata, Aspirasi Negara” (“People’s Voice, National Aspiration”), will be officiated by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob later today.
In this regard, Mokhtar hoped that Hawana 2022 can be a catalyst for the establishment of a special body regarding the involvement of young as well as senior journalists to advise and admonish.
On the National Media Forum, Mokhtar said it could serve as a platform for every news editor to think about the future of journalism in Malaysia.
“Hence, today’s forum is important for the future of journalists and journalism in Malaysia,” he said.
The Hawana 2022 celebration this morning began with two sessions of the National Media Forum themed “Kewartawanan Era Revolusi Industri Keempat: Cabaran dan Peluang” (“Journalism in the Fourth Era of the Industrial Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities”).
The first discourse was entitled “Memahami Perubahan Landskap Media dan Kewartawanan Model Baharu: Cabaran Kelestarian” (“Understanding the Changing Media Landscape and New Model Journalism: Sustainability Challenges”).
Three panellists have been invited to discuss the matter — Free Malaysia Today managing editor Jasbant Singh, former Malaysiakini chief executive officer Premesh Chandran and Mulia Media Group editor Azlan Jaafar.
The second discourse entitled “Kewartawanan 2030: Mengintai Landskap Masa Depan Media” (“Journalism 2030: Looking at the Future Landscape of Media”) with three panellists, namely national journalist Johan Jaaffar, Daily Express editor-in-chief Zulhayati Dzulkifli and president of the Malaysian Journalism Teachers Association (MJTS) Prof Ahmad Murad Merican. – May 29, 2022
