KUALA LUMPUR: The ‘Wartawan Pinggiran’ WhatsApp group comprising three veteran journalists has lost a member with the passing of Datuk Ahmad A Talib, today.
The group comprises Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, former Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Azman Ujang and the late Ahmad himself.
“It was the smallest WhatsApp group in the world comprising three retired journalists… Until he was hospitalised earlier this month the WhatsApp was our medium of communication daily,” Azman said when asked about the significance of the group’s name.
The 69-year-old died at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) here at 5.42 pm, after a battle with liver cancer.
But what saddened Azman most was fellow friends of the deceased including himself were unable to pay their last respects or attend the funeral due to conditional movement control order (CMCO) still in force.
Recalling his introduction with the late Ahmad, he said he first came to know the deceased in 1974 when together they embarked on journalism careers before assuming high positions in their respective organisations.
“We both have reported various important events in the country’s political, social, and economic spheres under several Prime Ministers.
“The late Ahmad is a professional high-profile journalist and he wrote on current issues with a critical eye. He was a very respected man in his field,” he said.
Ahmad began his career as a journalist with the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) in 1972 before holding various senior positions at corporate companies including in New Straits Times Press (NSTP) and Media Prima Berhad (MPB).
Sharing the personality of the deceased, Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Chamil Wariya described Ahmad, who was also the chairman of the MPI from 2004 to 2008, as a humorous and versatile person.
“The late Ahmad was approachable, though he seemed quite arrogant, he loved to joke and was fun to be with as I recall while waiting for a press conference once,” shared the former Utusan Malaysia journalist.
He said MPI members also felt the loss of the deceased, who led the training programme and remained a speaker for the programme organised by the institution, even after leaving the MPI.
Meanwhile, veteran journalist Datuk A Kadir Jasin described the late Ahmad as a good and tolerant person, capable of dealing with any situation.
“Tok Mat (the deceased) was never disappointed and upset, he was always happy and extremely tolerant, including with the young journalists that he and I coached. The deceased had an element of charity in whatever he did,” he said.
Reflecting on his acquaintance with the late Tok Mat, Kadir said he and Ahmad first became acquainted with each other when he began his career at the Economic News Service in Bernama in 1972.
“I would describe the late Ahmad as being among the last Malay journalists who can write general and economic news well in Malay and English” he said.
The remains of the deceased were buried at the Raudhatul Sakinah Muslim Cemetery, Sungai Besi, last night. – Bernama
