MELAKA: The establishment of a Malaysian Journalists Association (PWM) as proposed by the government can uplift the dignity of journalists to ensure the profession gets the proper respect from all quarters, said Malaysian Women Journalists Association (Pertama) president Sariha Mohd Ali.

       She said PWM could function not just as an umbrella body for all journalists but also strengthen networking among media agencies and boost ties among media practitioners.

       "The time has come for all media practitioners to be placed under an association which can look after the interests and welfare of its members.

       "Once it is realised later, the journalism career will take on a new dimension in line with the country’s transformation towards the industrial revolution 4 (IR4.0),” she added.

       Sariha said this when expressing support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s proposal on the setting up of PWM in his speech at the launching of the National Journalists Day (Hawana) 2022 celebration here Sunday (May 29).

       The Prime Minister said the time has come for journalists to be grouped under a dedicated association representing the print, electronic and internet media in Malaysia to safeguard the ethics of journalism.

       Sariha urged all existing journalists associations to support the proposal and work together to make PWM a reality.

       She said many journalists had yet to sign up with any association, causing them to lack a channel to raise issues faced by them.

       "We want all parties to accord the same respect to the journalism profession as that given to other professional careers.

       "It cannot be denied that certain parties have cast a negative view on journalists because of misunderstanding of the role they play,” said Sariha, who is Berita Harian editor.

       She said PWM could also play a role to ensure that the ethics of journalism were observed at all times.

       Meanwhile, commenting on the Prime Minister’s proposal to set up a Malaysian Centre for Study of Journalism, Sariha said apart from gathering information on journalists and media practitioners throughout the country, it could also serve as a reference centre on journalism. - Bernama