KUALA LUMPUR: Local media practitioners who hold the Information Department (JaPEN) media accreditation card will enjoy a one-off 50 per cent discount on return airfares via AirAsia to 57 destinations in ASEAN.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said it was an initiative resulting from strategic collaboration between the Communications Ministry and low-cost airline AirAsia in conjunction with Malaysia’s ASEAN 2025 Chairmanship.
He said booking will open until December 31 2025, while the travel period will be from April to September 2026 with details and ticket booking mechanism to be announced by JaPen soon.
“Thank you AirAsia for the generous initiative. This thoughtful gesture recognises the contributions of media practitioners and opens up greater opportunities for them to explore and connect with the ASEAN region.
“Such collaboration also truly uplifts the spirit of HAWANA, celebrating the dedication and contributions of the media fraternity,“ he said when delivering his welcoming address at the National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2025 Summit at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) here today.
“Themed “Journalism in the New Era: Embracing AI, Safeguarding Ethics,” the summit, which was attended by about 1,000 media practitioners from home and abroad, will be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Dr Zaliha Mustafa and Deputy Minister of Communications Teo Nie Chieng.
Also present were the Ministry of Communications secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, Bernama chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, Bernama editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, cum director of HAWANA 2025 Project, along with the top management of the country’s media companies.
He said that as of June 4, there were 12,428 active media practitioners registered with JaPen and holding Media Accreditation Cards, including 12,297 Malaysians who served in various print, broadcast, digital and online news portal platforms.
Meanwhile, Fahmi said AirAsia will name a plane specifically for media practitioners that will be filled with news information.
He said the founder of the low-cost airline and chief executive officer of Capital A Bhd, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, had agreed to implement the matter.
“I would like to inform you that Tan Sri Tony and AirAsia have wanted to name a plane after journalists.
“We will decide which one later and this plane will be filled with news information so, it would be a media plane,” he said.
The HAWANA 2025 celebration organised by the Ministry of Communications with Bernama as the implementing agency, aims to recognise the role and contribution of media practitioners in the development of the country.
May 29 was gazetted as National Journalists’ Day in conjunction with the publication of the first edition of the Utusan Melayu newspaper on May 29, 1939, to celebrate the contributions and services of media professionals as vital agents in shaping an informed society.
