National Press Club Malaysia has a new president

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- Prominent journalist and blogger Datuk Ahirudin Attan has been elected as president of the National Press Club (NPC) for 2019-2021.

Ahirudin, the former Business Times editor, takes over from Bernama deputy editor-in-chief (domestic news service) Datuk Mokhtar Hussain who did not seek re-election at the NPC annual general meeting (AGM) held here on Wednesday. Mokhtar has been appointed the Club’s advisor.

Better known as Rocky (after his blog Rocky’s Bru), Ahirudin was president of the NPC between 2003 and 2007 and between 2009 and 2013. He began his journalism career in 1985 with The Star before moving to the New Straits Times Press group where he went on to become the editor of Business Times and later the executive editor of the Malay Mail. He was advisor to The Malaysian Reserve for a brief spell and is currently with the news portal The Mole. 

Former Malay Mail executive editor Haresh Deol, who now runs TwentyTwo13, a current affairs portal, has been elected deputy president. 

Muharyani Othman of Bernama, M. Govind Nair, also of Bernama, K. Sivanesan of Makkal Osai and L. Jaiarajo of Bernama News Channel (BNC) were re-elected as the vice-president, secretary, treasurer and assistant treasurer, respectively. Joan Santani of BNC is the assistant secretary.

Eight others were elected as committee members, namely Pearl Lee Siok Li (TwentyTwo13), Zaharin Mat Noor (Bernama), Mohd Ismail Rashid (BNC), Muhd Zaidi Azmi (The Mole), A. Jeyakumar (BNC), SP Manivasagam (Mannan Monthly), T. Ananthan (Majalah Mannan) and S. Baskaran (Iniyaval Monthly).

The AGM appointed veteran journalists Datuk Nuraina Samad, Tony Emmanuel and Datuk Yong Soo Heong as NPC trustees.

-- BERNAMA