KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (pic) will officiate the National Journalist Day (Hawana) 2022 celebration scheduled to be held in Melaka on May 29.

       The Malaysian-Indonesian Journalists’ Association (Iswami), in a statement said the prime minister held a meeting with media representatives to discuss on the Hawana 2022 event in Putrajaya on Thursday (May 21).

       The delegation was led by Iswami president Datuk Mokhtar Hussain, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) acting chief executive officer Roslan Ariffin, advisor Datuk Zakaria Abdul Wahab, UtusanTV editor-in-chief Datuk Zulkefli Hamzah and Astro Awani editor-in-chief Ashwad Ismail.

       "The Prime Minister has agreed to officiate the largest gathering of Malaysian journalists at this year’s celebration after the first Hawana was held in 2018.

       "Hawana is organised in appreciation of the service of journalists in Malaysia and the event is held every year in conjunction with the first publication of the Utusan Melayu newspaper on May 29, 1939," said the delegates in a statement.

       Iswami and Bernama will be the main drivers for the implementation of Hawana 2022 which will also involve other agencies, organisations and media practitioners.

       In addition, 17 media leaders from Indonesia including Iswami Indonesia will be invited to attend the Hawana 2022 celebration.

       A total of 20 youth editors from various media agencies in Indonesia will also be participating in a goodwill programme in June to further strengthen strategic partnership and bilateral relations between the two countries.