theSun receives the MFMPA Asean Award 2025 for excellence in national news reporting at a regional cultural event celebrating Asean collaboration
PETALING JAYA: theSun received the MFMPA Asean Award 2025 for “Excellence in National News Reporting and Public Information” at a gala event here on Friday night.
The award was presented by Malaysia-China Business Council chairman Senator Tan Sri Low Kian Chuan and Malaysia Fashion, Modelling and Pageant Association (MFMPA) president Dr Jason J.P. Hee during the Karnival Kebaya Malaysia 3.0 organised by MFMPA at New Ocean World Fine Food City.
The award was received by theSun Entertainment and Lifestyle editor Ee Ann Nee.
The event saw contributors from across Southeast Asia being recognised for their roles in cultural development, tourism initiatives and public information efforts.
The MFMPA Asean Awards, introduced and organised since 2020, recognise contributors across the region that strengthen Asean identity and cross-border cultural collaboration.
Other media organisations recognised at the event included Harian Metro, which received the Outstanding Media Influence and Urban Readership Leadership Award, Berita Harian which took home the Distinguished Contribution to National Journalism and Malay Media Leadership Award and Kosmo which bagged the Excellence in Lifestyle, Entertainment & Community Media Award.
Low said in his keynote address that cultural initiatives and regional collaborations remain vital for strengthening people-to-people ties across the Asean region.
“We are not only celebrating fashion. We are celebrating identity, artistry and beauty.
“Fashion is more than fabric and design. It is a reflection of who we are, our history, our heritage and our hopes for the future.”
He added that participation from Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia demonstrated Asean’s shared commitment to cultural cooperation.
“This event marks an important milestone as six Asean nations came together in the spirit of friendship and shared purpose. Through shared creativity, we can build stronger ties, deeper understanding and mutual respect among our Asean neighbours.
“I would like to commend Dr Jason Hee and the Miss Malaysia Kebaya (MMK) and the MFMPA team for empowering talent, promoting national heritage such as the kebaya and positioning Malaysia as a regional hub for fashion diplomacy and cultural exchange.”
Low said the MFMPA Asean Awards encourage greater cross-border collaboration in tourism, culture and entrepreneurship as regional creative industries continue to expand.
Hee, the founder of MMK, which is the pageant organisation promoting kebaya heritage and co-organising the event, reflected on its 13-year development and its transition into a broader Asean-driven cultural platform.
“Karnival Kebaya Malaysia is a celebration of the kebaya, and how the kebaya promotes our nation and our states. And this time, we are moving towards Asean.”
He said the progress achieved to date stemmed from long-term support from industry figures, government agencies and regional partners.
“We have been on this journey for the past 13 years. It has not been easy but because of passion, we believe we can move forward.
“This is an international event. We consider that we have moved from the national level to the Asean level, and we have 11 countries this year.”
The event was held in conjunction with National Kebaya Day.
