Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (PNA photo)
MANILA – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced the allocation of another one million Malaysian Ringgit (RM) for media practitioners, including former and veteran journalists, in need of help.
The leader made the announcement during the highlights of the National Journalists' Day 2024 or Hari Wartawan Nasional (HAWANA) at Waterfront Hotel Kuching in Sarawak, Malaysia on May 27.
HAWANA is the largest gathering of Malaysian media practitioners with this year's theme of "Ethics the Core of Sustainable Journalism". It was attended by more than 600 media practitioners, including 20 foreign journalists.
"I want to extend it because last year I announced RM1mil for Tabung Kasih@Hawana, so I will continue with the RM1mil allocation for Tabung Kasih@Hawana," he said in his opening speech, delivered mostly in Malay.
The allocation was the initiative of the Communications and Digital Ministry being implemented by the Berita Nasional Malaysia or Bernama, the country's news agency.
During the opening of HAWANA 2023 in Ipoh, Perak, Anwar announced allocating the same funds to help ailing and retired journalists.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, in his welcoming speech delivered at the same event in Kuching, said some 102 former and active members of the media have been assisted since the fund was introduced last year, based on the reports of Malaysian newspapers.
The prime minister has also granted RM 1 million to the Bernama Center for Excellence to train media practitioners on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool in their profession.
He said the allocation was in line with the call for the media to explore and master the use of technology, including AI, to facilitate their tasks. (PNA)
