UKM's Mention Celebrates 50th Anniversary With 125 Alumni

BANGI, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- The Centre for Media and Communication Studies (MENTION) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) celebrated its 50th anniversary today, bringing together 125 alumni from different generations, former faculty members and current staff of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK).

The golden jubilee celebration was attended by prominent media figures, including Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Chief Executive Officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and Star Media Group (SMG) Group Chief Content Officer Datin Paduka Esther Ng Sek Yee.

Also present were Professor Emeritus Dr Samsudin A. Rahim, a member of the department’s first cohort, former Sabah Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Jahid Jahim and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Special Operations Division Senior Director Datuk Dr Karuna Nithy Y. Subbiah.

Other alumni included former Information Department Deputy Director (Digital Content) Hashim Bedu and Media Prima News and Current Affairs video content editor Phang Chin Fei.

The celebration featured the premiere of a special MENTION50 video, the launch of the MENTION Alumni Fund and the unveiling of a memoir titled Emas: Memori & Kenangan.

MENTION, formerly known as the Department of Communication, was officially established in December 1975 following a recommendation by the then Faculty of Arts and its Academic Committee at the committee’s 39th meeting on Oct 18, 1973.

The establishment process was further advanced when the University Management Council formed a special committee on Nov 9, 1973, to outline the rationale for setting up the department. The initiative laid the foundation for the development of media and communication education at UKM.

-- BERNAMA