Hawana: The successful organisation of the National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) 2026 Grand Finale demonstrated the capability of personnel from the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) to execute a large-scale event by fully leveraging the agency's in-house expertise. Bernama chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin expressed pride in the dedication shown by Bernama staff involved in the various sub-committees that ensured the success of the event.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nur-ul Afida, who is also HAWANA 2026 Working Committee chairman, highlighted one of the notable achievements of this year's edition: the successful execution of Bernama's first-ever live broadcast produced entirely through in-house efforts. "We handled all the planning internally. The artificial intelligence (AI) video production, posters, and layouts were all produced entirely by our own staff," she remarked. She further mentioned plans to organise future editions in other states, allowing media colleagues to gather and discover the host states.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim officiated the event, which also saw attendance from Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. Nur-ul Afida noted the positive response from media practitioners, underscoring HAWANA's significance as an annual platform uniting members of the country's media fraternity.
She shared that some media practitioners had already enquired about the venue for next year's celebration, indicating sustained interest in the event. Bernama hopes to continue being entrusted with the responsibility of serving as the implementing agency for HAWANA by the Communications Ministry. "This is the sixth year Bernama has been entrusted with the role of implementing agency. I hope the ministry is satisfied with the planning and organisation we have carried out and that this responsibility will continue to be entrusted to Bernama in the future," she added.
Approximately 1,000 media practitioners, particularly journalists from within Malaysia and other ASEAN countries, gathered in Penang for the HAWANA 2026 Grand Finale, themed 'Media Integrity Strengthens Credibility'.