SHAH ALAM: Fifteen prominent figures from the communication and media sector were honoured by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) through the establishment of a Wall of Fame at the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies.
Among those recognised were former Media Prima Group news editor Datuk Manja Ismail, former NSTP Group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Abdul Jalil Hamid, and managing editor Datuk Nuraina Abdul Samad.
Others include Professor Dato’ Dr Ahmad Murad Mohd Noor Merican, Zohara Gany Mhd Bathusha, Datuk Norhyati Mohd Ismail, the late Datuk Bukhari Che Muda, Nik Ramzi Nik Hassan, Hasri Hasan, Prof Datuk Mohd Hamdan Adnan, Datuk Abdul Razak Dali, Datin Dr Shameem Abd Jalil, Azizul Kallahan, Mussadikh Meah Musa Meah, and Shukri Rifaie.
Unveiling the Alumni Wall of Fame (WoF) today, UiTM vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Ts. Dr Shahrin Sahib @ Sahibuddin said the honourees represent only a small fraction of more than 20,000 alumni produced by the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies since its establishment over 50 years ago.
He said the initiative was aimed at inviting alumni to return and work together with the faculty to prepare it for current and future challenges.
“Today, we celebrate some of our alumni as representatives of more than 20,000 graduates out there, and we want to invite them back to the faculty to jointly develop it in addressing current and future curriculum challenges.
“This is to ensure that the relevance of mass media and media technology curricula truly aligns with the country’s needs,” he said.
Shahrin also expressed hope that alumni would assist the faculty in formulating legislation specifically for the Malaysian media, taking into account the country’s unique media and technology landscape.
“As I mentioned earlier, Malaysia’s challenges are different from other countries. Our national profile is unique, and therefore our media communication strategies, including journalism, must also be different.
“I call upon our alumni to help the faculty develop the necessary bill (rang undang-undang) needed to shape Malaysia’s technology and mass media ecosystem,” he said.
Ahmad Murad, however, believed the Malaysian Media Council was sufficient to regulate the journalism profession.
“Specific media legislation may not be necessary because we already have the Malaysian Media Council as a regulatory body, which in one sense is adequate to oversee the journalism profession,” he said.
Commenting on the WoF, Ahmad Murad said the initiative provides space for alumni to contribute their energy, ideas, and vision on how schools of communication can function and adapt to changing social, environmental, and technological landscapes.
“This is a global challenge as industries and professions evolve. Mindsets must also change, especially in the context of artificial intelligence. This is not ordinary technology; it is technology that engages human intellect and values,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Abdul Jalil, who expressed appreciation for the recognition, said the initiative serves as an important reminder for alumni to contribute not only knowledge, but also other resources to help propel the faculty into its next phase of development.
“The challenge now is how to manage the future amid changing technology, a shifting media landscape, demographic changes, and a younger, more digitally savvy and educated population.
“The faculty must prepare students with both soft and hard skills so that graduates not only seek jobs, but are also capable of creating jobs,” he said.
He said the faculty must produce well-rounded graduates who are industry-ready.
Nuraina, on the other hand, said she was pleasantly surprised when informed about the WoF.
“This has never happened before. We never had a WoF, so for them to introduce it is quite an honour.
“I have been an alumna for a very long time, and when I received the call, I was pleasantly surprised. It was thoughtful of them and a good initiative,” she said.
Manja said the recognition was not only for those honoured, but also for their generation of mass communication practitioners.
“There are many more who succeeded from our generation. We represent them. This is just the first time, and there will be more,” he said.
He said the initiative was positive as it would also help motivate students.
“The media landscape today is not like before. In the past, graduates could easily secure jobs. Now, there are more than 40 universities offering media-related programmes.
“This opens the door for collaboration with successful alumni, including retirees, to contribute towards shaping faculty curricula that better reflect industry needs rather than remaining purely academic,” he said.
-NewStraitsTime