• 2025-07-16 03:00 PM

PETALING JAYA: Communication practitioners play a crucial role in humanising complex challenges within today’s fast-evolving communication landscape, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

Speaking in a recorded address for World Public Relations Day (WPRD) 2025, he emphasised the need for communicators to engage audiences without deepening divisions.

“Polarisation isn’t always negative. It reflects a vibrant, diverse society, but when left unchecked, it can fragment communities. That’s where we, as communicators, come in to mediate, contextualise and above all, humanise,” he said.

The event, held at SEGi University, was attended by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul, PRactitioners Malaysia chairman Datuk P. Kamalanathan, and SEGi University managing director Stella Lau.

Fahmi also praised efforts to nurture young communicators with strong ethical foundations and strategic foresight.

“To everyone turning tension into dialogue, and differences into understanding, I salute you. Societies like PRactitioners Malaysia are playing a crucial role in this journey,” he added.

Johari Abdul, who officiated the event, urged PR professionals to prioritise truth over trends and foster people-centred communication.

He called for collaboration with Parliament to cultivate a well-informed generation of future leaders. “I ask for your support in positioning Parliament as a living institution of the people,” he said.

Kamalanathan highlighted the event’s significance as both a celebration and a commitment to student involvement in the industry.

“As we mark our first anniversary, this celebration is more than a reflection of how far we’ve come - it’s a reaffirmation of our promise to grow alongside the future of this profession,” he said.

Over 350 students, professionals, and industry leaders attended WPRD 2025, which featured knowledge-sharing sessions and discussions on empowering the next generation of communicators. - Bernama