BERNAMA TO ENHANCE MEDIA LITERACY IN KAMPUNG BATU LAUT THROUGH SANTUNI MADANI PROGRAMME

SEPANG, Oct 3 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) will focus on enhancing media knowledge and literacy for the community of Kampung Batu Laut, Tanjung Sepat, through the "Satu Pemimpin Satu Kampung" (Santuni MADANI) programme.

Bernama Chief Executive Officer Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said as an agency under the Ministry of Communications, Bernama was responding to the government's call by adopting Kampung Batu Laut as a "foster village" under the programme.

She said that Bernama would implement various programmes in stages for the Kampung Batu Laut community to develop their skills, talents, and potential in information technology.

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“God willing, on Oct 12, we will launch this programme in Kampung Batu Laut. Our focus is on promoting journalism as a potential career path for the future. The media industry is rapidly evolving, so we can share our knowledge and experience with the youth in Kampung Batu Laut.

“We are focusing on the younger generation to help them understand how to responsibly disseminate information, find accurate information, and use it for their lives and future. We aim to engage the village residents and assist them in understanding these aspects,” she said.

Nur-ul Afida made the remarks after a discussion between the Bernama leadership and the Batu Laut Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) at the MPKK Batu Laut Hall in Tanjung Sepat, today.

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Also present were Bernama’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief (News Service) Nasriah Darus, Deputy Editor-in-Chief (Economic News Service) Azlina Aziz, Head of Management Services and Finance Sharifah Zaini Syed Zain, Digital Library Information Manager Hasnita Ibrahim, and Commercial Department Chief Mastura Hassan.

Nur-ul Afida said the programme would also indirectly assist the Kampung Batu Laut community in navigating the digital world, particularly in addressing issues like cyber fraud and bullying, which were becoming more prevalent.

“In terms of education, we can maybe assist in making learning more engaging for the students here. This does not mean we’re deviating from the Ministry of Education's syllabus but rather complementing the existing learning structure,” she said.

Among the planned programmes include exhibitions, English language workshops, writing workshops, TV and radio hosting auditions, briefings on cyberbullying and scammers, sports matches, and Zumba sessions.

Additionally, Nur-ul Afida hoped that a follow-up programme, starting in January 2025, could be implemented to further empower the socio-economic needs of the Kampung Batu Laut community.

Meanwhile, Kampung Batu Laut headman Subandi Sagandi, 63, said the upcoming programme was expected to benefit the local population of 5,000 people, comprising various ethnicities.

“We hope that Bernama's programme will assist children's learning, especially those lagging in English proficiency. This initiative shows that the government is serious about education, particularly in English, in rural areas,” he said.

Earlier, Nur-ul Afida and Bernama's leadership team spent about 30 minutes surveying the programme site in preparation for the Bernama Santuni MADANI Programme Launch Ceremony at Kampung Batu Laut on Oct 12.

The Santuni MADANI Programme aims to enhance the village's potential and community capacity through direct engagement and consultations to identify socio-economic challenges and needs in selected villages, involving Cabinet Ministers, top government leaders, and government-linked companies.

-- BERNAMA