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New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Bernama chairman Wong Chun Wai named National Journalism Laureate
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai was named the National Journalism Laureate at the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI)-Petronas Journalism Awards ceremony held last night. Wong, 64, brings over four decades of journalistic experience, having begun his career as a junior reporter at The Star in Penang in 1984. He then climbed the ladder to serve in various positions at its headquarters in Petaling Jaya. Wong is the 14th recipient of the prestigious award, joining the ranks of past luminaries, including the first recipient, the late Tan Sri Abdul Samad Ismail of Utusan Melayu (1988), the late Tan Sri Lee Siew Yee of the New Straits Times (1992), and Datuk Ishak Muhammad or Pak Sako (1995). Other notable past recipients include Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, Datuk Kadir Jasin, Adibah Amin, the late Datuk Ahmad Rejal Arbee, the late Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin and Datuk CC Liew. Wong said he felt "small and humbled" to be among these luminaries. The award was presented by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir. Apart from journalism, Wong has also held corporate leadership roles, serving as group chief editor, managing director, and chief executive officer of Star Media Group (SMG). In 2023, he was appointed Bernama chairman. He had earlier served as a member of its Board of Governors (2004–2010) and as a member of its Supervisory Council (2010–2014). He continues to write analysis pieces for Bernama. Wong remains a columnist for The Sunday Star, where his popular "On The Beat" column has run since 1997, despite no longer being with SMG. Over the years, Wong has delivered numerous exclusives, including interviews with the late physicist Stephen Hawking and former US President Bill Clinton. In 2003, he won the MPI Best Feature Award for his investigative piece on Malaysians undergoing terrorist training in Afghanistan. He was also the first Malaysian elected into the Paris-based World Editors Forum and served as Chairman of the Asia News Network with over 21 media affiliates. "This is an honour for me and certainly the pinnacle of my journalism journey," he said. He advised journalists to go beyond standard news writing by dabbling in news analysis and commentaries. Wong is also the author of 'Penang's History, My Story', published in 2014 by The Star, and translated into Bahasa Melayu by Universiti Sains Malaysia. He has served as an adjunct professor at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, his alma mater. "My advice to fellow journalists is never to stop writing. "I wish to commend my fellow veterans like Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, Datuk Seri Azman Ujang, Datuk Yong Soo Heong, Datuk Kadir Jasin and Datuk Kuik Cheng Kang who still write, whether regularly or occasionally. "Old journalists should never fade away, but continue writing," he added. The veteran journalist has also embraced digital platforms such as Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube to share his views. Wong said he strongly advocates for the engagement of professionally trained journalists, emphasising that "we have undergone years of training, and are better equipped to understand legal boundaries and the sensitivities of Malaysia's multi-racial society." "More importantly, the established media is accurate and we take responsibility for what we publish," he said. Wong dedicated the award to all journalists, particularly veterans and seniors, for their tireless service to the profession. -- Bernama
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Have you no decency?!' Republican backs down when confronted for minimizing murder of Dem lawmaker
Republican Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) has backed down after vitriolic posts about the assassination of a Democratic politician. Political analyst Jason Johnson joins MSNBC's Ari Melber to discuss. (The Beat's YouTube playlist: Ari: / arimelber Beat merch:
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Huge: See lawmaker fighting Trump DOJ's bid to imprison Dems for ICE 'oversight'
New Jersey Congresswoman Rep. LaMonica McIver joins MSNBC's Ari Melber on The Beat to discuss her recent indictment by the Trump Justice Department. (The Beat's YouTube playlist: Ari: / arimelber Beat merch:
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Crisis? Trump's attack on law rebuked by Tyler Perry as he talks movies, vision & news with Melber
Director, producer, writer, and actor Tyler Perry joins MSNBC's Ari Melber for a wide-ranging conversation about the tense family drama of his new film "Straw" and working with Taraji P. Henson, the legacy of Madea, his response to Trump's second term, and reflections on his career journey from homelessness to billionaire mogul. (The Beat's YouTube playlist: Ari: / arimelber Beat merch:
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. Padilla gets emotional over Trump's ‘BS' misinformation about immigrants
Sen. Alex Padilla of California got emotional during his first interview after being forcibly removed from a news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on Thursday. Appearing on 'The Beat with Ari Melber,' the Democrat called his ejection by FBI agents 'excessive' and 'definitely an overreaction,' but stressed that he did not want the incident to overshadow what he says is a larger issue at play. 'This is the biggest point: It's not about me,' he told Melber and NBC News' Jacob Soboroff. 'If they're willing to do this to me, a United States senator representing the state of California, just imagine how it's going with their immigration enforcement on the streets — when they show up at restaurants and are trying to detain a cook, or outside a Home Depot trying to detain a day laborer.' The senator, whose family came to the U.S. from Mexico, became emotional discussing how Donald Trump's immigration crackdown has affected members of his community. 'I understand their plight, I understand their struggle, I understand their sacrifice to just find the American dream: a good opportunity, maybe a good job, the ability to raise a family, and have the next generation have it a little bit better than you,' he said. 'And so for all the talk about immigration, you know, the misinformation, disinformation about invasions and insurrections — it's all BS coming from Trump. 'As I said before, if all they were going to do is target violent, dangerous criminals, true threats to our national security, that would be one thing. Nobody has a disagreement there.' But Padilla said that is not what's happening in practice, and he ended the interview by urging Americans to participate in the nationwide protests against the Trump administration planned for this weekend. On Saturday, millions of Americans are expected to come together in about 2,000 cities in all 50 states for the 'No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance.' 'First Amendment rights are a beautiful thing, and they need to be utilized,' Padilla said. 'There's a lot of passion out there in some quarters, a lot of fear and anxiety in other quarters, a lot of outrage in other quarters. It's very patriotic to channel that and to speak up and to demonstrate.' 'Let's do it peacefully, because that is our right. That's how, maybe, we shift public opinion. But we can't cower, that's what Donald Trump [wants] — he wants us to stay quiet and just stay home.' This article was originally published on
