ISWAMI will work to strengthen media ties in ASEAN countries

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 -- The Malaysian-Indonesian Journalists’ Association (ISWAMI) will work to foster stronger bonds among media organisations in ASEAN member countries, president of ISWAMI Malaysia Datuk Mokhtar Hussain said.

He said the move was in line with the call made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob at the Malaysian Journalists Night recently for the relationships among media outlets in the country and that in ASEAN to be further strengthened through more cooperations involving their journalists at the regional level in order to enhance understanding among regional countries.

“The Prime Minister’s stand to give emphasis on the roles of the media in enhancing understanding among regional countries can be seen during his visit to Indonesia last month where the meeting with editorial leaders of Indonesia’s media outlets was listed as the first programme for his visit.

“And at the recent Malaysian Journalists Night, he also repeated the call for the media to play their roles. This shows his seriousness (in the matter).”

Mokhtar said this when interviewed in Bernama Radio’s Jendela Fikir programme to discuss ISWAMI’s roles in leading the regional media network, today.

On next year’s National Journalists Day (HAWANA) celebration, Mokhtar, who is also Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer, said a meeting of editorial leaders in Malaysia had been held recently to discuss the celebration slated for May 29, 2022.

“We want to emulate the Indonesian media who celebrates the National Press Day on Feb 9 every year with numerous activities and programmes being held in each province. So, HAWANA will also be celebrated in the states, but the host state has yet to be ascertained and everything is still in the planning stage,” he said.

Meanwhile, the president of the Indonesian chapter of ISWAMI, Asro Kamal Rokan, in the same interview, said culture should be one of the main platforms in uniting and enhancing understanding among the people of Malaysia and Indonesia.

“(Malaysian songstress) Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza is very popular in Indonesia.

“I was born in North Sumatra, in the coastal area fringing the Straits of Melaka, only two hours to reach Penang by ferry, and I am so used to listening to songs by Malaysian singers such as (the late) Datuk Ahmad Jais, Datin Rafeah Buang and Datuk Sharifah Aini played on Radio RTM,” he said.

He added that cultural activities involving local artistes were capable of bringing closer and uniting the emotions of the people in the two countries.

-- BERNAMA