KOTA KINABALU, June 13 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) turned in a stellar performance at the Kinabalu Press Awards 2026 tonight, walking away with six Main Awards and seven Merit awards.
The prestigious annual event, which featured a total of 26 categories, made history this year by receiving a record 354 entries compared to 268 submissions recorded last year.
Bernama’s excellence in journalism was highly visible in the Bahasa Melayu stream, led by Sabah Bureau Chief Fadzli Ramli, who clinched the Main Award in the News Reporting (Bahasa Melayu) category for his report on how social media and AI dominated the Sabah state election last year.
Fadzli, alongside his team members Arjasneh Ahmad and Ahmad Jimmy, also secured the top prize in the English Journalism Award (Feature and News Feature) category for a feature on the human-Borneo elephant conflict in the state.
In addition, journalist Noorazlina Jindeh swept two major accolades in the same stream, namely the Entertainment Reporting Award (Bahasa Melayu) for a story on a 100-year-old gong, and the Business and Economic Reporting Award (Bahasa Melayu) regarding Semporna’s economic development.
Arjasneh also bagged the Main Award for the newly introduced Entertainment, Culture and Arts Photography Award for his Merdeka 2025 photograph, while veteran journalist Datuk Emin Madi took home the top prize in the Environmental Journalism Award (English) for a feature on forest restoration in the state.
Apart from the major wins, Bernama also proved its consistency across multiple disciplines by securing seven Merit awards.
Journalist Rohana Nasrah took home three Merit awards through the Business & Economic Reporting Award (Bahasa Melayu), Environmental Journalism Award (Bahasa Melayu) categories, and Journalism Award (Feature and News Feature - Bahasa Melayu).
Noorazlina added to her tally by receiving two Merit awards tonight, namely for the Environmental Journalism Award (Bahasa Melayu), and Sports Journalism Award (English).
Meanwhile, Arjasneh earned a Merit award under the Best Picture Award category, while Fadzli secured a Merit for the Journalism Award (Feature and News Feature - Bahasa Melayu).
The awards ceremony, organized by the Sabah Journalists Association (SJA), was graced by Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, who represented Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
The winners of the English Journalism Award (Feature and News Feature) category walked away with a cash prize of RM5,000 and a certificate.
Meanwhile, winners for the News Reporting (Bahasa Melayu), Business and Economic Reporting Award (Bahasa Melayu), and Environmental Journalism Award (English) categories each received RM2,500 along with a certificate.
For the Entertainment Reporting Award (Bahasa Melayu) and the newly introduced Entertainment, Culture and Arts Photography Award, the main prize winners took home RM1,500 and a certificate.
All Merit award winners were rewarded with a cash prize of RM500 and a certificate.
-- BERNAMA
