Tabung Kasih@HAWANA Honours Unsung Heroes, Assists 725 Media Practitioners With RM2.1 Mln – Fahmi

SEGAMAT, April 19 (Bernama) -- Tabung Kasih@HAWANA embodies the Communications Ministry's commitment to honouring media practitioners, the unsung heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes.

The fund is a Communications Ministry initiative, implemented through the Malaysian National News Agency  (Bernama), established in April 2023 during the National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) celebration.

Now in its third year, the fund has delivered RM2.114 million in aid to 725 media practitioners, who faithfully convey accurate information to the public, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

He said the initiative has also opened the eyes of society to the service and sacrifices of journalists, reporters and cameramen, who often face numerous challenges in the course of their duties.

"Through this fund, the ministry can identify media practitioners who are ill, facing health problems, struck by misfortune or involved in accidents, and in doing so, empathise with the difficulties they experience.

"Many people don't actually know that journalists are unsung heroes, often the ones behind the pen and the camera.

"People don't really see them, but through Tabung Kasih@HAWANA, we place these media sector fighters as the main figures," he said after presenting assistance to former Harian Metro journalist Ahmad Ismail, 67, at Kampung Lubuk Batu here. The veteran journalist has faced health issues since 2012.

Also present were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah, Bernama chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and Sekijang member of Parliament Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

Fahmi said the ministry remains committed to helping media practitioners nationwide, including those on stringer status, ensuring their welfare is always looked after.

"This is one way we support our media colleagues. Efforts to identify practitioners in need are carried out through collaboration with Bernama and the Gabungan Kelab Media Malaysia (GKMM)," he said.

For Ahmad, the HAWANA Care Fund is more than assistance; it is a lifeline. The former journalist, who has diabetes and hypertension, as well as a nerve condition and slipped disc since 2018, expressed deep gratitude at being chosen as a recipient.

"This support means everything. At the very least, it helps cover our daily household expenses and the cost of better-quality treatment, including physiotherapy and medication," he said.

He also praised the Communications Ministry's efforts to track down media practitioners living in hardship, reaching even the most remote corners of the country, describing it as a truly noble humanitarian effort.

Born in Segamat, Ahmad began his journalism career in 1999 and has served for 26 years with major media organisations, including the New Straits Times, Harian Metro and Berita Harian.

Among his contributions were investigative reports highlighting the sacrifices of rescue agencies during floods, as well as efforts to trace separated families, and covering the COVID-19 pandemic.

His pen, it seems, was always in the service of others. Now, in his time of need, that service has come full circle.

He recalled a report on starving pets during the Movement Control Order, which sparked a company's initiative to donate pet food for six months, proof, perhaps, that words can move mountains when wielded with care.

The most impactful coverage of his career involved stories of B40 families, persons with disabilities, the homeless, orphans and new converts in need of help. 

Among the memories hardest to forget were the tragedies, the drowning of eight students in 2014, and several accidents and fires that claimed entire families. Some images, he reflected, never leave you.

Yet behind that dedication lies a quieter, more painful truth. Throughout his years on the job, Ahmad admitted to facing immense challenges, including having to file reports while enduring the agony of a slipped disc.

"I once had to lie down just to complete my report because the back pain was unbearable. I even spent more than a night in my car, stranded during the great flood of 2013.

"Now, my health is unpredictable, due to slipped discs in both my neck and lower back, along with nerve damage in my legs, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and unstable blood sugar levels," he shared, adding that he can no longer stand, sit, or drive for extended periods.

--BERNAMA