HAWANA 2024: FAHMI ENGAGES ASPIRING JOURNALISTS AT DIALOGUE SESSION

KUCHING, May 25 (Bernama) -- Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil today spent about an hour engaging with university students who are keen to explore the world of journalism through a dialogue session at the HAWANA 2024 Excursion with Students programme here.

The programme, attended by 250 students from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak and SEGI College Sarawak, is part of the events held for this year’s National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) celebration.

The dialogue session saw enthusiastic participation from students who posed questions to Fahmi, focusing on media freedom, the spread of fake news and the current challenges facing the media industry.

“If this is the quality of questions being asked by students, I believe Malaysia has a bright future (for the next generation of journalists),” said Fahmi.

Present at the programme were Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Corporate Affairs, Information and Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS)) Datuk Abdullah Saidol, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, chief executive officer Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj.

During the dialogue session, Fahmi expressed hope that local higher learning institutions would organise special programmes in conjunction with the Coronation of the 17th King of Malaysia on July 20, to celebrate the unique concept of constitutional monarchy practised in Malaysia.

“I am very honoured to be selected as chairman of the Special Committee for the King’s Coronation Events. It is a rare opportunity since it is held every five years.

“For higher learning institutions, it is good to organise some events that highlight our differences and uniqueness compared to countries like Brunei, which practices an absolute monarchy,” he said.

Apart from the dialogue session with Fahmi, today’s programme also includes knowledge-sharing and discussion sessions on topics such as ‘Fact-Check’ with MyCheck Malaysia and Bernama Data Journalism Unit editor Sakina Mohamed, as well as Mobile Journalism with Bernama’s Digital Media desk senior journalist Syed Iylia Hariz Al-Qadri Syed Izman.

-- BERNAMA