#SHOWBIZ: Veteran journalist Fauziah Rauf dies at 81

KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran journalist Fauziah Rauf, 81, founder of the Malaysian Entertainment Journalists and Writers Association (WHAM), passed away at Selayang Hospital here yesterday at about 1 am.
Her daughter, Nilly Wahida Omar, initially confirmed the passing of Fauziah, who was well-known among creative industry figures and celebrities.
It was reported that Fauziah died due to a cerebral haemorrhage.
Nilly Wahida said that about a week ago, her mother fell at their home before being admitted to the hospital for treatment.
"We, her children, were by our mother's side when she breathed her last. She passed away very peacefully," she said.
Fauziah's remains were eventually laid to rest at the Selayang Baru Islamic Cemetery here yesterday afternoon.
About 100 people, including family members, relatives, and acquaintances, paid their last respects at the funeral.
Among the artiste friends present were famous lyricist, Datuk Habsah Hassan, and actress Rubiah Suparman.
Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) CEO, Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, was also present on behalf of the Minister of Communications, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, to hand over a cash donation of RM2,000 to Fauziah's family.
WHAM, in a statement, expressed its condolences and sorrow over the passing of Fauziah Rauf, who was also a former journalist for Utusan Malaysia, including Wanita magazine, and the publisher of Nilly Publication.
WHAM president, Datuk Tengku Khalidah Tengku Bidin, described Fauziah as a highly respected female journalist in both the journalism and the arts and entertainment industries in the country.
"Fauziah was not only an excellent writer but was also among the earliest female journalists to successfully establish her own publishing company, Nilly Publication, which published Pesta Magazine and the Pentas Dunia newspaper," she said.
Tengku Khalidah added that in recognition of her significant contributions, Fauziah received the Distinguished Journalist Award at the Malaysian Film Industry Journalism Awards (AKIFMA) 2017, jointly organised by the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (Finas) and WHAM.
"WHAM extends its condolences to Fauziah's entire family. May her soul be blessed and placed among those who believe and do good deeds," she said.
Fauziah is survived by her four children and 13 grandchildren.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Borneo Post

13 hours ago

• Borneo Post

Sabah National Tabletop Con showcases creative tourism through play

The organisers of The Sabah National Tabletop Con 2025 with Josie Lai (sixth from right). KOTA KINABALU (June 21): The Sabah National Tabletop Con 2025 officially opened on Saturday at IMAGO Shopping Mall here, marking a new chapter for Sabah in promoting tourism and culture through the creative world of tabletop games. Organized by the Sabah Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STTOS), in collaboration with #LaiPlayLeow (Singapore) and XMultisport Event (Sabah), the two-day event brings together local talent, tourism players, and board game enthusiasts to celebrate design, imagination and play. The event is the grand finale of the Sabah National Board Game Design Competition, launched earlier this year to encourage local creators to develop games inspired by Sabah's diverse natural beauty, indigenous heritage and cultural narratives. In her officiating speech, Datuk Josie Lai Ming Sing, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment for Sabah said: 'This pioneering event brings together creativity, tourism and collaboration through the medium of board games. We celebrate not just the finalists, but the birth of Sabah's very own board game — a fresh and imaginative way to introduce our stories to the world.' Visitors can enjoy game showcases, creative workshops, playtest stations, merchandise booths and special lucky draws. The top three board game winners are being featured and played by the public for the first time at the event. 'This is more than just a gathering of game lovers — it's a bold move to position Sabah as a creative hub and national destination for cultural innovation,' said STTOS managing director Wendy Clare Stephen. The event is supported by key partners including the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (KePKAS), Sabah Tourism Board, Tourism Malaysia, Sabah Art Gallery, and IMAGO Shopping Mall, which generously hosts the national-level event. 'Let us continue supporting those who believe in the power of creativity to elevate Sabah's presence on the global stage,' Josie concluded her speech.

The Star

a day ago

• The Star

SMG grabs top media awards

KUALA LUMPUR: Star Media Group (SMG) grabbed two top prizes at the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI)-PETRONAS Malay­sian Journalism Awards 2024. Executive editor of content design Tung Eng Hwa, as well as chief designer Muhammad Hafeez Aminuddin and deputy chief designer Hassan Bahri, took home the gold prize in the Best Infographic category, along with a RM10,000 cash prize, trophy and certificate. The Star senior writer Raga­nanthini Vethasalam clinched first place in the Best News Reporting category, taking home RM10,000 cash prize for her impactful series: A Stillborn Heart Centre, Heart of the Centre Is Not Beating, Operating a Solution, Three OTs Back in Action, Heart Ops Comes to a Halt and No More Shocks for Hospital. The Star also secured both second and third places in the Best Multimedia category, with the winning teams receiving RM3,000 and RM2,000 in cash prizes, respectively, along with trophies. The second-place team comprised senior news editor Abdul Razak Ahmad Idris, chief news editor Mazwin Nik Anis, deputy chief designer Foo Chern Hwan and chief digital designer Nor Shalina Abdul Samad for their What's In It For You in Budget? series. Third place went to the team of deputy news editor Sheridan Mahavera, senior writer Tarrence Tan, senior writer Ragananthini Vethasalam and journalist Muhammad Shyafiq Dzulkifli for their interactive General Election series. The Star Metro journalist Muhammad Farid Abdul Wahab secured third place in the Best Feature Writing category, earning a RM2,000 cash prize and a certi­ficate. In the Best Environmental, Social and Governance Journalism category, senior chief videographer Juliana Mohd Fauzi took third place for her compelling series: Bring the Forest Back to Life Again, From Forest Guardians to Wildlife Saviours, Custodians of the Malayan Tigers, Food­bank­ing for the Needy and Braving the Forests to Conserve Wildlife. SMG chief content officer Datin Paduka Esther Ng said the awards serve as an encouragement for the organisation to stay true to its strengths. 'Thanks to MPI for the recognition! This will only spur us on, doing what we do best,' she said, adding that SMG has always championed topics and issues that are close to the people's hearts. 'We have been active in forging the path with digital storytelling as well as the traditional print, which we are proud to defend. 'These awards show that we are going in the right direction. Thanks to our great team!' Tung said he is proud of the team's achievement, highlighting how impactful storytelling can be effectively delivered through illustrations and graphics. 'Through this visual piece on the serious threat of microplastics, we hope to raise greater awareness so that everyone becomes more mindful about our environment and reconsiders their use of plastic,' he said. Ragananthini expressed gratitude to her editors for supporting and shaping the impactful story. 'I would like to dedicate this award to the whistleblower who braved all odds to come forward with this story. 'I am glad to have played a very small part in providing them a platform to amplify the call for action and mount pressure on authorities to act fast,' she said. A remembrance and special award was conferred upon the late Rozaid Abdul Rahman, who previously served as the group consulting editor at The Star. In his speech, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said MPI has provided a platform for media practitioners to foster ethical journa­lism and uphold the truth, to counter against fake news, conspiracy theories and skewed public perception in the age of digitalisation and artificial intelligence. 'The role of journalists is to filter facts from falsehoods and to speak the truth, even when it is bitter. 'Tonight's event itself is a testament to our shared commitment to upholding ethical and excellent journalism in our country. 'Tonight, we honour our winners but tomorrow the struggle (in upholding the truth) conti­nues,' he said. Zambry also officiated MPI's first scholarly journal e-Jurnal Kewartawanan, which aims at promoting research-based writing in the fields of journalism, media and communication, particularly among local media practitioners.

The Star

a day ago

• The Star

Star Media Group bags two golds at 2024 MPI-PETRONAS journalism awards

KUALA LUMPUR: The Star Media Group (SMG) bagged two gold awards at the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI)-PETRONAS Malaysian Journalism Awards (HKM) 2024 on Friday (June 20). Executive editor of content design Tung Eng Hwa, as well as chief designer Muhammad Hafeez Aminuddin, and deputy chief designer Hassan Bahri, took home the gold prize in the Best Infographic category, along with a RM10,000 cash prize, trophy, and certificate. Senior writer Ragananthini Vethasalam clinched first place in the Best News Reporting category, earning a RM10,000 cash prize for her impactful series: A Stillborn Heart Centre, Heart of the Centre Is Not Beating, Operating a Solution, Three OTs Back in Action, Heart Ops Comes to a Halt, and No More Shocks for Hospital. The Star also secured both second and third place in the Best Multimedia category, with the winning teams receiving RM3,000 and RM2,000 in cash prizes, respectively, along with trophies. The team that bagged the silver award comprised senior news editor Abdul Razak Ahmad Idris, chief news editor Nik Mazwin Nik Anis, deputy chief designer Foo Chern Hwan, and chief digital designer Nor Shalina Abdul Samad for their What's In It For You in Budget? series. The bronze award for the category went to the team of deputy news editor Sheridan Mahavera, senior writer Tarrence Tan, senior writer Ragananthini Vethasalam, and journalist Muhammad Shyafiq Dzulkifli for their interactive General Election series. The Star Metro journalist Muhammad Farid Abdul Wahab secured third place in the Best Feature Writing category, earning a RM2,000 cash prize and a certificate. In the Best Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Journalism category, senior chief videographer Juliana Mohd Fauzi took third place for her compelling series: Bring the Forest Back to Life Again, From Forest Guardians to Wildlife Saviours, Custodians of the Malayan Tigers, Foodbanking for the Needy, and Braving the Forests to Conserve Wildlife. SMG chief content officer Datin Paduka Esther Ng said the awards serve as an encouragement for the organisation to stay true to its strengths. 'Thanks to MPI for the recognition! This will only spur us on, doing what we do best. She said SMG has always championed topics and issues that are close to the people's hearts. 'We have been active in forging the path with digital storytelling, as well as the traditional print, which we are proud to defend. 'This awards show that we are going the right direction. Thanks to our great team!' she said. Tung said he was proud of the team's achievement, highlighting how impactful storytelling can be effectively delivered through illustrations and graphics. 'Through this visual piece on the serious threat of microplastics, we hope to raise greater awareness so that everyone becomes more mindful about our environment and reconsiders their use of plastic,' he said. Ragananthini expressed gratitude to her editors for supporting and shaping the impactful story. 'I would like to dedicate this award to the whistleblower who braved all odds to come forward with this story. 'I am glad to have played a very small part in providing them a platform to amplify the call for action and mount pressure on authorities to act fast,' she said. A remembrance and special award were conferred upon the late Rozaid Abdul Rahman, who previously served as the group consulting editor at The Star. Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai was honoured with the Tokoh Wartawan Negara award in recognition of his extensive experience and significant contributions to Malaysian journalism. Wong has served The Star for over 35 years in various capacities and roles. He is now group editorial and corporate affairs adviser to the group, after having served as group managing director/chief executive officer.