KUALA LUMPUR: The National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2025, held successfully today, demonstrates the media’s continued commitment to elevating the journalism profession to greater heights.
Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said the successful organisation of the fifth edition of HAWANA was the result of seven months of meticulous planning by Bernama staff, with the support of various parties.
“Alhamdulillah, I am grateful that our efforts over the past seven months to ensure the smooth execution of this event have paid off. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all Bernama staff and strategic partners for their cooperation and support, particularly in terms of sponsorship.
“The full attendance at Dewan Merdeka today reflects the success of the HAWANA programme and the strong support it has received from members of the media,” she said when met after the HAWANA 2025 highlight celebration at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) here today.
Carrying the theme “Journalism in the New Era: Embracing AI, Safeguarding Ethics”, HAWANA 2025 is organised by the Ministry of Communications through Bernama as the implementing agency.
About 1,000 media practitioners from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait and China have converged in the federal capital since Friday for the HAWANA 2025 celebration.
Commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s speech when officiating the event, Nur-ul Afida said the emphasis on the understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and journalism ethics was timely.
“As I often stress, we cannot afford to set aside technology, as it is intended to assist us in the field of journalism. Be it journalists, editors or graphic designers, all can benefit from AI according to their respective needs.
“But at the same time, we as humans cannot rely entirely on AI. Use it as a tool to achieve your goals, not as a shortcut,” she said.
The Hawana celebration was first introduced in 2018 to honour the contributions of journalists to national development, with May 29 chosen as the official date, in recognition of the first publication of “Utusan Melayu” in 1939.
