Special body should be established to protect Malaysian media practitioners

MELAKA: 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 Datuk Mokhtar Hussain.

He said the matter was 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 are functioned as 'umbrellas'. 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 Datuk Seri 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 the journalism profession in Malaysia.

"Hence, today's forum is important for the future of journalists and the journalism profession in Malaysia. During this forum the editors can think together about our future," 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, namely Free Malaysia Today managing editor Jasbant Singh Partap Singh, former Malaysiakini.com 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 Tan Sri Johan Jaafar, Daily Express editor-in-chief Zulhayati Dzulkifli and president of the Malaysian Journalism Teachers Association (MJTS) Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Murad Merican.

-- BERNAMA