Communications Ministry Staff Complement One Another In Serving The People - Bernama CEO

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- Every member of the Communications Ministry, including those serving in its departments and agencies, has a role to play in ensuring that its responsibilities to the people are carried out effectively, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Chief Executive Officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said.

She said every individual, whether working on the front line or behind the scenes, contributed to the organisation’s shared goals, much like the teamwork and collective effort required in sports.

“In sports, not everyone can be a goal scorer. Some attack, others defend, some guard the goal, while others provide support in midfield. Every player has an important role in the team,” she said at the Communications Ministry’s monthly assembly held in conjunction with National Sports Day 2026 here today.

Organised by Bernama, the assembly was attended by Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah and Bernama Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj.

Nur-ul Afida also underscored the importance of prioritising health, drawing on her 28-year experience of living with arthritis, which subsequently led to other health problems, as a reminder not to take good health for granted.

She said while many people understood the importance of exercise, a balanced diet and sufficient sleep, the real challenge was making healthy habits part of their daily lives.

National Sports Day, she stressed, was not about competing to be the thinnest or fittest, or recording the highest step count, but about encouraging everyone to take personal responsibility for improving their health.

“We can start with 10 minutes of stretching, followed by a 30-minute brisk walk, and gradually turn these activities into regular habits that benefit our health,” she said.

On the demands of working in the media industry, Nur-ul Afida said media personnel faced relentless work pressures, with social media updates, phone calls and WhatsApp messages coming in at all hours.

“Sometimes, the only time we are truly offline is when our phones run out of battery,” she said, adding that staff well-being should not be left to individuals alone but embedded in a healthy organisational culture.

She said well-being extended beyond physical health to include mental and emotional wellness, as well as meaningful relationships with others, adding that staff should therefore make time to rest, spend time with their families and pursue activities they enjoy.

Nur-ul Afida also highlighted the importance of introducing children to physical activities from an early age to help establish healthy habits that would last a lifetime.

At Bernama, she said efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle among staff had been ongoing since 2024 through several initiatives, including a strategic collaboration with the National Heart Institute (IJN) to provide health screenings for employees aged over 40.

Nur-ul Afida said the screenings aimed to detect the three major non-communicable diseases at an early stage, allowing appropriate follow-up measures to be taken. About 180 Bernama employees have benefited from the initiative to date.

The agency also organises brisk-walking sessions every Thursday evening and stretching exercises every Monday morning. Staff are encouraged to stay active through football, bowling and badminton teams under the Bernama Welfare Club.

She expressed hope that the initiatives would continue to receive staff support and become firmly embedded in the agency’s work culture.

As part of the programme, pupils from Sekolah Kebangsaan Sentul Utama in Kuala Lumpur also participated in an aerobics session to promote healthy living from an early age.

-- BERNAMA