Clean sweep at media awards
The Star wins top prize for story on nation’s cancer rate
PETALING JAYA: The Star made a clean sweep in the English newspaper category at the 10th Health Media Awards 2016.
Sunday Star journalist Yuen Meikeng won the top prize for her story Big C Alarm, which highlighted that cancer cases will shoot up by an alarming rate of 54% by 2025 unless something was done.
It was all the more sweet as it was Yuen’s first journalism award after eight years in the profession.
“I am really happy and surprised with this.
“This award will spur me to do better in the future,” said the 31-yearold after receiving the award and RM3,000 from Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam during the ceremony here yesterday. Assistant news editor Loh Foon Fong and assistant features editor Tan Shiow Chin took home the consolation prizes, winning RM500 each.
Loh and Tan’s winning articles were Avoiding the Jab and Our Right to Health, respectively.
Other main winners for the print category were Raja Intan Dianna Raja Azaham from Utusan Malaysia, Tan Seow Jou from China Press and K. Elavaraasi from Malaysia Nanban.
Dr Subramaniam said media collaboration was important for the ministry’s to achieve its agenda of getting the people to lead a healthy lifestyle.
He said Malaysia has high Facebook penetration and that social media should be used to optimise the spreading of information on health issues.
“The ministry has different kinds of apps to send messages.
“These alternative media can be used widely to send the right and accurate information to the people,” he said.