Journalists associations hold dialogue
KOTA KINABALU: Cooperation between journalists is important to ensure readers receive fast, accurate news in this borderless world driven by technology, said Kota Kinabalu Journalists Association (KKJA) honorary advisor Eliza Goh.
She hoped to see more interactions or dialogues between KKJA and journalist associations from other states or countries in effort to enhance news reporting and establish cooperation among peers.
Journalists ought to be respected as they worked very hard in covering assignments and filing news reports, Goh said when gracing a dialogue between KKJA and Sibu Journalists Association (SJA) led by its president Watt Zacchaeus Ngumbang Ak Taip at Zara’s Boutique Hotel here yesterday.
Since KKJA’s inception in 1992, she said the association has been very active in organizing events and activities for its members, including the annual Chinese New Year luncheon,study awards for members’ children and Press Night.
Goh also commended the association for providing welfare funds to members who are hospitalized and family of deceased members. Financial aid is also given to members whose spouse has passed away.
Meanwhile, KKJA chairman Yong Ted Phen said the association shared many similarities with SJA in terms of their objectives, activities and programmes.
He hoped that KKJA would have more dialogues with other journalist associations in the future to learn from each other’s strengths.
The SJA committee and members arrived in Kota Kinabalu yesterday for a fourday visit. They will be visiting Mount Kinabalu, Poring Hot Spring, Sabah Tea Garden and Manukan Island. The association has had visited Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur in previous trips.
Established in 1993, SJA aims to promote goodwill among journalists for their benefits and welfare and to build their professionalism together. SJA members are made up of journalists from various news firms in Sibu, namely See Hua Daily News, Sin Chew Daily News, International Times, United Daily, The Borneo Post, Utusan Borneo, The New Sarawak Tribune, Utusan Sarawak, The Star, RTM and Bernama News Agency.
Its activities include those of social goodwill, recreation, sports, Reporters’ Day celebration, giving study incentives to children of members, family day, mini sports and interaction with the community in regards to news, information and current affairs.
Also present at the dialogue were KKJA deputy chairman Tang Pok Ngai, secretary Eunice Ng and committee member Chok Sim Yee.