The Prime Minister touching the media identification card symbolising HAWANA 2023.

IPOH, 28 May 2023 - Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived at Casuarina@Meru here to officiate the National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) Summit 2023.

He was accompanied on his arrival by Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Perak Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Saarani Mohamad, Communications and Digital Minister Ahmad Fahmi Fadzil, Communications and Digital Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching, State Secretary Dato' Ahmad Suaidi Abdul Rahim and Malaysian National News Chief Executive Officer Roslan Ariffin.

For this edition, Perak has been chosen as the host for the three-day HAWANA 2023 Celebration from 27 to 29 May.

The HAWANA celebration aims to appreciate journalists in Malaysia, which is celebrated every 29 May in conjunction with the first publication of the Utusan Melayu newspaper on 29 May 1939.

The Prime Minister in his speech said that journalists in this country not only deliver information but are also initiators of ideas to bring about change as done by previous media practitioners, such as Ahmad Boestamam, Ibrahim Kajai, Uthman Awang and so forth.

Meanwhile, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim also announced a contribution of RM1 million to Tabung Kasih@HAWANA, created in conjunction with HAWANA 2023 to help media practitioners, former media personnel and veteran journalists.

During the ceremony, he presented contributions to three veteran journalists in Perak, namely Ou So Ha, V. Maniam and Haron Shafei.

With the theme “Free Media, Pillar of Democracy”, HAWANA 2023 brought together about 1,000 media practitioners from all over Malaysia, including from several ASEAN countries; and to some extent could be used as a platform to promote Perak to the world.

Source : Corporate, SUK Perak.