BERNAMA MAKES HISTORY, RECEIVES TWO SPECIAL ‘PRESIDENT AWARDS’ FROM MSOSH

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) made history today when it became the first media organisation to receive two special ‘President Awards’ in conjunction with the 43rd Occupational Safety and Health (MSOSH) Awards ceremony held here today.

Bernama Chief Executive Officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin received the award (under the leadership category) in recognition of her visionary leadership and high commitment to strengthen the occupational safety and health (OSH) culture in the organisation.

Bernama Assistant Features Editor Erda Khursyiah Basir was also honoured with the Excellent Journalist special award for her news and articles that highlighted occupational safety and health themes.

The awards were presented by President of the Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety and Health, Datuk Wira Ahmad Fakhrul Anuar, witnessed by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad at a ceremony also attended by Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and the President of the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service (CUEPACS) Datuk Dr Adnan Mat.

Commenting on Bernama's achievement, Nur-ul Afida said the recognition reflects Bernama's comprehensive support for the safety, health and welfare of its workforce at all levels.

"At Bernama, internally we have a committee that monitors matters related to OSH. For example, for two consecutive years we have sent our support staff to undergo comprehensive health screenings to detect heart disease and other conditions.

"We are also gradually upgrading workspace for our staff. So in this aspect, Bernama takes matters related to OSH seriously and regards them as important because they are essential elements that should exist in every organisation,” she said after the event.

She also congratulated Erda Khursyiah on her success and conveyed a message to Bernama staff, especially journalists, to produce more news focused on OSH.

“Congratulations to Erda, she worked under me when we were at the editorial (features) desk and since then we started to actively write articles related to OSH because we see its importance, apart from relevance to our work,” she said.

Meanwhile, Erda Khursyiah said OSH is one of the crucial aspects of an organisation that should not be neglected.

“Alhamdulillah, all praise be to Allah, I am grateful for this award. Thank you to MSOSH and Bernama for this space and opportunity. I hope that writing on this matter could have contributed to raising awareness in every organisation, in improving the welfare of workers to a better level.

“Hopefully, employers and employees in this country can serve and carry out their duties in a more conducive and secure environment,” said Erda, who often produces articles covering OSH aspects.

Most recently on Aug 28, Erda Khursyiah also produced an article entitled ‘Prioritise OSH to Prevent Workplace Accidents, Perkeso (Socso) offers Comprehensive Protection’ which, among other things, touched on the fact that effective preventive measures begin with employers’ awareness that OSH is a core element in an organisation.

Ahmad Fakhrul Anuar, who was quoted in the article, said OSH should be seen as a strategic investment and not a waste because it helps ensure operations run smoothly, reduce disruptions due to accidents and enhance a company’s reputation.

-- BERNAMA