MMC Engages Northern Region Media Practitioners At HAWANA 2026

BUTTERWORTH, June 20 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) today hosted a dinner and get-to-know-you session with media practitioners from the northern region in conjunction with the National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2026 celebration.

MMC secretary Radzi Razak said the session, which brought together over 50 media practitioners from Penang, Kedah, Perak and Perlis, as well as MMC board members and secretariat staff, aimed to bring the council closer to media practitioners outside the Klang Valley, while giving both parties the opportunity to interact in a more relaxed and open setting.

“We rarely get the chance to come to the northern region. Coincidentally, the HAWANA highlight event at the PICCA@Arena Butterworth Convention Centre this afternoon, so we used the opportunity to hold a get-to-know-you session and dinner with our media colleagues here.

“They can speak directly with us about any issues or problems they are facing. At the same time, we always interact with all parties, but this session is more about direct engagement to get to know about the MMC, as well as to better understand who we are,” he told Bernama.

He said the session also served as the first informal gathering between media practitioners and the new MMC leadership following the appointment of chairman Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan, a former Federal Court judge, on June 15.

Radzi said organising such programmes was also important to ensure that MMC is not seen as a body that is only focused on media practitioners in the capital, but instead represents the media community nationwide.

“We don’t want the MMC to be perceived as being exclusive to Kuala Lumpur only. That is why we are reaching out to different regions so that media practitioners in every state can better understand the role and functions of the MMC,” he said.

He said that the MMC plans to continue its engagement sessions in other regions, beginning with next month’s Sarawak Media Conference.

He added that the approach of going down to the ground will not only strengthen ties among media practitioners, but also create opportunities for bilateral dialogue on current developments and challenges facing the media industry.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim officiated the HAWANA 2026 highlight event, which brought together 1,000 media practitioners from Malaysia and abroad.

With the theme “Media Integrity Strengthens Credibility”, HAWANA 2026 was organised by the Ministry of Communications, with the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) serving as the implementing agency, in recognition of the contributions, diligence and professionalism of media practitioners in this country

-- BERNAMA