KUCHING: The highlight of the National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2024 celebration, which began last Saturday, will be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this afternoon.
Held at a hotel here, the event will also be attended by Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Sarawak Corporate Affairs, Information and Public Communication Unit) Datuk Abdullah Saidol and about 1,000 guests comprising media practitioners from Malaysia and 12 other countries.
The representatives of media clubs and organisations from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Timor Leste, China, South Korea, Qatar, France and Kuwait have gathered in Kuching since Saturday for HAWANA 2024, which is being held for the first time in the Land of the Hornbills.
The highlight of the celebration at about 3 pm will see the Prime Minister delivering an address as well as presenting the HAWANA 2024 Awards and Tabung Kasih@HAWANA aid to five recipients.
The largest gathering of Malaysian journalists, themed “Etika Teras Kewartawanan Mapan”, is organised by the Communications Ministry in collaboration with the Sarawak government. The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) is the implementing agency for HAWANA 2024.
Meanwhile, the public is invited to visit the HAWANA 2024 Exhibition, which has been running since Saturday at Plaza Merdeka here.
HAWANA 2024 kicked off with the “Jelajah HAWANA 2024 Bersama Siswa” at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak.
The celebration also features the Sarawak Media Conference (SMeC) 2024 and the “Juh Raon” programme, which in the local dialect means taking participants to visit places of interest in Kuching city.
Yesterday, HAWANA 2024 participants were feted to a dinner attended by Sarawak Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and his wife Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi.
Also present were Abang Johari and his wife Puan Sri Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang, Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Doughlas Uggah Embas and Fahmi.
May 29 has been gazetted as National Journalists’ Day, in conjunction with the publication of the maiden edition of Utusan Melayu on May 29, 1939, to celebrate the contributions of media practitioners. – Bernama
