PUTRAJAYA, Aug 6 — As of July 30, a total of 114 media practitioners facing hardships and requiring assistance have benefited from the Tabung Kasih@Hawana initiative, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), the agency responsible for managing the fund, has been asked to collaborate with media clubs nationwide to gather information about media practitioners who need assistance.
“This will enable us to assist more media friends in need,” he said during the Communications Ministry’s monthly assembly today.
Also present were Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching and Secretary-General Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, as well as Bernama chief executive officer Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin.
Fahmi added that the government is also committed to safeguarding the welfare of media practitioners, including stringers and piecemeal workers.
The ministry, via Bernama, has initiated a scheme that will benefit 493 part-time media practitioners nationwide through contributions to the Social Security Organisation (Socso).
On May 27, during the National Journalists’ Day (Hawana) 2024 celebration, Fahmi announced that the ministry would cover Socso contributions for part-time media practitioners registered with various media organisations nationwide.
— Bernama
[caption id="attachment_327901" align="aligncenter" width="941"] Former Berita Harian Kelantan reporter and stroke patient Rokaid Chik (second from right) receiving the Tabung Kasih@Hawana from Kelantan Bernama bureau chief Noor Bakhtiar Ahmad (right), as Rokaid's wife Rosmahani Ramli, 58 (second from left) and daughter Nurin Atuni Sofea, 19 (left) watch on, at their residence in Kampung Selising, Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, on September 27, 2023. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]