Kuala Lumpur:Every member of the Communications Ministry, including those in its departments and agencies, plays a vital role in effectively fulfilling its duties to the public, stated Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) CEO, Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin. She highlighted the collective effort required, akin to teamwork in sports, during the Communications Ministry's monthly assembly held for National Sports Day 2026.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nur-ul Afida underlined the significance of maintaining good health, sharing her personal experience of living with arthritis for 28 years. She emphasized that while many acknowledge the importance of exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep, the challenge lies in integrating these healthy behaviors into daily routines. National Sports Day, she noted, is about fostering personal responsibility for health improvement rather than competition.
Nur-ul Afida also addressed the demands faced by media personnel, who often deal with continuous work pressures from social media and communication channels. She stressed the necessity of embedding staff well-being into the organizational culture, encompassing physical, mental, and emotional health. Encouraging meaningful relationships and family time, she advocated for introducing children to physical activities early to build lifelong healthy habits.
Bernama has been promoting a healthy lifestyle among its staff since 2024, collaborating with the National Heart Institute (IJN) for health screenings, particularly for employees over 40, to detect major non-communicable diseases early. Around 180 employees have benefited from this initiative. The agency also arranges brisk-walking sessions and stretching exercises weekly, encouraging participation in sports through its welfare club.
Nur-ul Afida expressed hope that these initiatives would continue to be supported and become ingrained in Bernama's work culture. As part of the programme, pupils from Sekolah Kebangsaan Sentul Utama participated in an aerobics session to encourage healthy living from a young age.