KUALA LUMPUR – PETRA News executive director Datuk Ahirudin Attan has won the post of National Press Club of Malaysia (NPC) president uncontested for the third time.
The re-election, which was cemented during the NPC’s annual general meeting last night, comes after he first gained the position unopposed in March 2019 and 2021.
Speaking to The Vibes, Ahiruddin, who is also popularly known as Rocky Bru, said that one of his upcoming plans for the NPC include reviving the black-tie NPC Awards event, which was halted in 2015.
“Instead of only offering cash rewards as prizes to journalists who are conferred awards, we’re hoping to start an attachment programme where winners are sent for courses regionally or overseas.
“The prize for award recipients will not only be in the form of monetary benefit, but also an opportunity to enhance their skills to achieve their dreams in the journalism field and beyond,” he said.
He also said that one of the biggest projects he will be working on for the club involves the launching of a professional development series which will comprise, among others, training courses in ethics and data protection for journalists and media practitioners.
“For the National Journalists’ Day in May, we’re planning to do a treasure hunt drive from here to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s parliamentary constituency Tambun,” he added.
In 1985, Ahirudin kickstarted his journalism career as a reporter with The Star before moving on to The New Straits Times Press where he served as its Business Times editor.
Besides being a former executive editor at Malay Mail, he also briefly served as an adviser to The Malaysia Reserve and established blog-news portal The Mole.
Meanwhile, former Malay Mail executive editor Haresh Deol, who is currently an editor at portal TwentyTwo13, was also re-elected as deputy president.
Farrah Naz Karim, who was appointed New Straits Times group editor in September last year, takes over from former Bernama English subeditor Muharyani Othman as vice-president after the latter’s death last month.
The NPC is the nation’s oldest journalism institution and stands at the forefront of championing media rights and journalists’ welfare.
Others in the NPC leadership line-up for 2023-25 are:
Secretary: Zaidi Azmi
Assistant secretary: Pearl Lee Siok Li
Treasurer: Sharanjit Singh
Assistant treasurer: Jai Kumaran
Committee members: Graig Nunis, Haris Hussain, Ramani Parkunan, Mohd Ismail Abd Rashid, Abdul Rahmat Omar, Savantharaja Naidu Luchimanan, Faizul Azim, Haziq Hamid. – The Vibes, April 1, 2023
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