The Borneo Post dominates Kenyalang Journalism Awards

MIRI: The Borneo Post swept nearly all the categories in Kenyalang Journalism Awards 2017, including the Chief Minister’s Award and the newly-introduced Digital Economy Award.

The award presentation ceremony was held at Pullman Hotel Miri on Monday, officiated at by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.

The Borneo Post reporter Rintos Mail from Kuching took the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Award in the English category for his article‘ Quenching Growing Need for Water in Rural Areas’.

On his win, Rintos thanked The Borneo Post management for giving him another opportunity to serve in the wonderful organisation and also extended his thanks to the main sponsors of the Kenyalang Journalism Award – the state government, Sarawak Energy Berhad, Petronas and Shell – for their support towards journalism in the state.

“I have won several journalism awards during my years as The Borneo Post reporter, but the Chief Minister’s Award is the highest I have ever won. Having won the first, second and third prizes in last year’s series, I expected to win in at least one category, but not the Chief Minister’s Award.

“I’m very happy with this award. It’s a great satisfaction. My success is also the success of the newspaper’s editorial team and the company I’m serving now. Without the editors, I might not have the opportunity to win this award. I believe it is the dream of every journalist to win this award,” he said excitedly.

Meanwhile, Rachel Lau Ker Qing and Yvonne Tuah Merawin, all from The Borneo Post, took first and second place in the Digital Economy Award (English category) respectively.

Rachel said: “My article ‘Coding Sarawak’s digital economy’ is about the changes and concerns that we will face as we build up our digital economy, and how we can adapt or overcome them. I felt it was timely and a relevant topic because many economies have fallen into some of the known pitfalls of a digital economy and in response, they have come up with innovative solutions on how to address them.

“And in the midst of our current push for digitalisation, I thought it would be great to understand what to expect and what our state government plans on doing to tackle it.

“That being said, I would like to thank Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Minister International Trade and E- Commerce and Second Minister of Finance, for providing me, a fairly new reporter, the opportunity to interview him about our state of digital affairs and his future moves in tackling them.”

Winning first prize and second prize in the Bahasa Malaysia category of the Digital Economy Award were Steve Annuar and Borhaniza Ali Basah respectively, all from Utusan Borneo, while in the Iban category of the same award the winners were also from Utusan Borneo – Lina Kunjak and Jacqueline Radoi David.

The Borneo Post also swept the top spots in the Feature and News Feature Awards. The winners were Peter Sibon and Lian Cheng ( National Parks – Two National Parks Proposed), Jude Peter Toyat (A dream trip to Bario) and Raymond Tan Chok Hui ( Malaysia Day).

In News Reporting category, Eve Sonary Heng ( The shylocks in our midst) took the first spot while Jonathan Chia ( SMK Sundar a parent’s heartbreak) came in second.

In the News Reporting Awards ( Bahasa Malaysia), an article by Clare Cinderella, Rosemaria Kembang Buma and Steve Annuar took the first prize.

Meanwhile, the Mandarin category of News Reporting Awards saw a team of See Hua Daily News reporters; namely Siaw Geok It, Chua Chin Mei, Chia Shu Kiong, Yek Choo Eng, Ting Nguk Ding and Ho Toh Kai, taking the second place with their article ‘ Kidnap’.

In the Iban category of News Reporting, second and third places respectively went to Lina Kunjak ( Rurun Pengawa Bumai Betaun Adap ke Menua Batang Rajang) and Judan Bungap ( Pengawa Ngabas Salong Lang Ngindang Dikemujar Dikena Ngamatka Kenyap Susan).

In Sport Awards ( Bahasa Malaysia), Utusan Borneo reporters Harry Illias and Steve Annuar grabbed first prize and second prize respectively, while the English category saw the top spots go to Jude Peter Toyat, Rintos Mail and Philip Wong Sing Hee of The Borneo Post respectively.

See Hua Daily News reporter Tan Chan Thai was in second place in the Mandarin category of sports reporting.

In the English category of Sustainability Journalism Award, The Borneo Post’s Peter Sibon, Cecilia Sman and Lai Pek Sian took the top spots, while Steve Annuar and Nick Fletcher, all from Utusan Borneo, were first and third respectively in the Malay category.

The Borneo Post reporters also took a clean sweep of the Business and Economic Reporting Awards through Rachel Lau Ker Qing ( first), Ronnie Teo Teck Wei ( second) and Jude Peter Toyat (third).

In the Bahasa Malaysia category, Dayang Mastura Ismail of Utusan Borneo was second.

The Community WellBeing and Rural Development Journalism Award ( English category) saw Rintos Mail, Jane Moh Hwei May and Jude Peter Toyat taking the top spots, while Dayang Mastura Ismail of Utusan Borneo was third in the Bahasa Malaysia category.

The Photo Journalism Award went to Teo Chi Wei and Hii Yii Yii, both of See Hua Daily News, who were placed first and third respectively.