PASIR MAS: Veteran media practitioner and former Radio Televisyen Malaysia journalist Abdullah Hamzah received a contribution from the Kasih@HAWANA Fund today.
The donation acknowledged his long-standing service and dedication to broadcast journalism.
Abdullah, aged 71, served more than 30 years in the industry and currently battles multiple health issues including gout, hypertension, and heart disease.
He described the contribution as a deeply meaningful gesture of moral support.
“I’m truly thankful to everyone who still remembers us, the old-timers in broadcast journalism,” he told Bernama at his home in Chetok, Kelantan.
Abdullah became the 501st recipient nationwide and the 49th in Kelantan to benefit from the Kasih@HAWANA Fund.
Kelantan Bernama Bureau chief Muhammad Afiq Mohd Asri presented the contribution.
Abdullah recalled that his passion for broadcasting began in his youth when his village lacked television access.
“I even slept with the radio on,” said Abdullah, who now lives with his wife Naterah Awang Kechik, aged 72.
He began his career with RTM in the early 1970s, serving 18 years at Angkasapuri and another 12 years with the Kelantan RTM station.
Among his most treasured memories was joining the royal entourage of the late Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang on a haj trip in the 1980s.
He received the rare honour of entering the Kaaba alongside the King, an experience he described as truly priceless.
Abdullah also frequently covered royal events at Istana Negara, various state occasions, and high-risk field operations.
“Journalists today are much more fortunate with the abundance of technology and resources,” he observed.
The Kasih@HAWANA Fund is an initiative that reflects the MADANI spirit, promoting compassion toward media practitioners facing hardship or health challenges.
Launched in conjunction with National Journalists Day 2023, the fund is spearheaded by the Ministry of Communications and implemented by Bernama. – Bernama
