HAWANA 2026 IN PENANG: HONOURING A PIONEERING HUB OF MALAYSIA’S JOURNALISM

GEORGE TOWN, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- The selection of Penang as the host of the National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2026 celebration recognises the state’s rich historical legacy and its pivotal role in the development of journalism and the media industry in Malaysia.

Kelab Media Mutiara Pulau Pinang president Mohd Iskandar Othman said the choice is especially fitting as Penang is among the earliest birthplaces of the media in the country, and served as the starting point for the development of the newspaper publishing industry and the dissemination of information in Malaya.

He said its past status as a thriving trading hub and cultural crossroads also contributed to the emergence of newspaper publications, establishing the Pearl of the Orient as one of the key centres in the growth of journalism in the country.

The history of journalism in Penang is not merely a record of the past, but a foundation that shaped Malaysia’s modern media landscape, he told Bernama today.

“Hosting HAWANA 2026 in the state therefore carries immense symbolic value for the media community and reflects confidence in Penang’s capability as host.

“It also recognises the contributions of media practitioners in the state who remain committed to delivering accurate, ethical and responsible information to the public,” he said.

Mohd Iskandar said Penang’s active media ecosystem, along with its diverse cultural and historical background, would add further value to HAWANA 2026, making it an ideal platform to bring together media practitioners from across the country.

He said the media club also pledged its full cooperation to ensure the prestigious programme runs smoothly and achieves its objective of elevating the standing of the journalism profession.

He added that Penang witnessed the printing of Malaysia’s first newspaper, The Prince of Wales Island Gazette, in 1806. Newspapers that later operated in Penang from 1894 included Tanjung Penegeri (1894), followed by Pemimpin Warta (1895), Chahaya Pulau Pinang (1898), Lingkungan Bulan (1900), Bintang Timur (1900), Idaran Zaman (1925), Suara Melayu (1926), Saudara (1928) and Pemimpin Melayu (1933).

Mohd Iskandar said Kwong Wah Yit Poh was founded in 1910 by Chinese revolutionary Dr Sun Yat Sen and it is the world’s oldest surviving Chinese-language newspaper.

Yesterday, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil announced that HAWANA 2026 will be held in Penang in June and is expected to be launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

HAWANA, the largest gathering of media practitioners in Malaysia, is organised by the Ministry of Communications through Bernama as the implementing agency. It has previously been held in Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Ipoh and Kuching.

-- BERNAMA