Live interview with PM adds value to Bernama's MBOR bid

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16  -- The live interview with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad by Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) from Kuching, Sarawak to value add the agency’s schedule in its endeavour to earn a place in Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) for the ‘Longest Non-stop Live National Telecast in Various Languages’  in conjunction with Malaysia Day 2019.

Programme Content Committee chairman Hakimi Mohd Zain attributed the pleasant surprise to Bernama News Channel's (BNC) journalist Hillman Jamil who succeeded in getting Dr Mahathir and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali who are in ‘Bumi Kenyalang’, Sarawak for the joyous occasion, to agree to the interview.

"The live interview was unplanned and was not even in our schedule. But it was a surprise that Hillman managed to get the brief interview because PM was getting ready to attend the Malaysia Day celebration at Stadium Perpaduan.

"The way PM responded was good and cool. We can say the live session gave us a bonus in our effort to make it into the MBOR 2019," he told Bernama.

Throughout the non-stop live telecast, which started at 7 am and will end at 9 am tomorrow, Bernama disseminates useful information and presents various interactive programmes and chats in four languages via all its channels - BNC, Bernama Radio, Bernama.com and social media platforms.

Nearing the 17-hour mark of the broadcast, Hakimi, who is also the chief operating officer of BNC, said the audience's reaction so far has been encouraging.

"One comment we received read: The BNC interview with the Academy of Sciences Malaysia Assoc Prof Dr Madeline Berma, an Iban from Sarawak, is the best I have ever watched.

"So things like that coming in which motivates and that's good for us. Two MBOR employees also joined us today to oversee the record attempt," he said.

The programme’s curtain-raiser was through a live telecast with the Communications and Multimedia Ministry’s Secretary-General Datuk Suriani Ahmad from Kuching, Sarawak.

The non-stop broadcast also features talk shows with politicians, corporate figures, athletes and celebrities including news coverage in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebrations in Kuching and elsewhere.

'The Longest Non-Stop Live National Telecast In Various Languages', which is sponsored by Terra Security, Maad Travel dan Fomema Sdn Bhd, will also see a variety of interesting articles and live-streamed news involving some 300 editors, journalists, and broadcast journalists, publishers, cameramen, technical crew and other departments under Bernama.

The live coverage also includes journalists from the agency’s bureaus across the country as well as abroad.

Those tuning in also have the chance to win RM81,000 worth of prizes, including a two-day holiday package to Jeju Island, South Korea by answering the quiz questions on the National Day, Malaysia Day and Bernama.

The programme is currently airing live on BNC - available on Astro (Channel 502), UnifiTV (631), MYTV (121), iflix - and Bernama Radio via FM93.9 (Kuala Lumpur), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM100.9 (Kuching) and FM 107.9 (Kota Kinabalu).

-- BERNAMA