KUALA LUMPUR: The late Rozaid Abdul Rahman, former Director of Media and Strategic Communications at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), was posthumously honoured with the National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2025 Special Award during the culmination of today’s celebration.
The award was presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Rozaid’s eldest son, Roz Ariffin, 34, in a special ceremony at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre (WTCKL), which was attended by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and 1,000 guests, comprising local and international media practitioners.
Also present were Chairman of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, Bernama Chief Executive Officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, and Bernama Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, who is the Director of the HAWANA 2025 Project.
Rozaid, who died on August 18 last year of a heart attack, is remembered as an influential figure in the country’s journalism world with over four decades of experience in the media industry.
Born on October 1, 1964, in Nibong Tebal, Penang, Rozaid began his career as a cadet journalist at the Utusan Melayu newspaper on April 21, 1984, before becoming chief reporter and subsequently making history as the youngest individual to be appointed news editor of the Utusan Group at the age of 27.
He also made history as the first Malaysian journalist to set foot in the tunnel of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) on the Thai border in December 1989, and his exclusive report was later quoted by various media around the world.
He was also the first Malaysian journalist to interview CPM Secretary-General Chin Peng and its Commander of the 10th Regiment, Rashid Maidin, shortly before the signing of the Peace Agreement between the Malaysian Government and the CPM in Haadyai, Thailand.
As a journalist with extensive experience of the unrest and issues in Thailand, Rozaid spent more than a month in Bangkok covering the coup that saw the fall of the Thai government at the hands of the military in February 1991.
In 1992, Rozaid won a prestigious scholarship from the British High Commission in Malaysia to attend a journalism fellowship programme at Wolfson College, United Kingdom, before being named the recipient of the Penang Eminent Journalist award by the state government in 1994.
Rozaid further cemented his legacy when he became the first Malaysian to receive the Asia Digital Media Award, presented in Hong Kong on November 18, 2015, by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers.
As a journalist, editor and media leader, Rozaid not only witnessed the changing landscape of journalism but also became a pioneer in the evolution of digital news in Malaysia, including developing the mStar Online portal under The Star Media Group and launching Sinar Daily, the English version of Sinar Harian newspaper.
Rozaid returned to The Star in 2023 as Group Consulting Editor before being appointed as Director of Media and Strategic Communications at the Prime Minister’s Office on May 23, 2023, responsible for managing government communications and media strategy.
His death was a great loss to the country, and his services will always be remembered.
HAWANA 2025, themed ‘Journalism in the New Era: Embracing AI, Safeguarding Ethics’, ran for three days from Friday and was attended by about 1,000 guests comprising local and international media practitioners.
May 29 was gazetted as National Journalists’ Day to commemorate the publication of the first edition of Utusan Melayu on May 29, 1939, and to honour the contributions and dedication of media practitioners who have served as a vital medium in shaping an informed and progressive society.
