Latest news with #SJA
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
PM Inter-Club Basketball set for Oct
SSWMB's Tariq Ali Nizamani is seen with the four recipients of Ilyas Shakir Award for their outstanding performance in the basketball camps. Also seen in the picture are Director Sports Ghulam Mohammad Khan, KBBA President Ghulam Abbas Jamal, SJA Secretary Mohammad Rafiq and others. photo: kbba Prime Minister of Pakistan's Coordinator for Youth Affairs (Sindh), Fahad Shafiq on Tuesday announced the launch of Prime Minister Inter-Clubs Basketball Tournament in October during a vibrant and dignified ceremony held at the international Abdul Nasir basketball courts on Tuesday night. He extended full support on behalf of Pakistan Muslim League (N) and praised the efforts of President Ghulam Abbas Jamal Advocate, Secretary Zahid Malik, and the entire camp administration for successfully holding the basketball camps. Later, Fahad Shafiq distributed prizes among participants of the month-long Mohammad Masood Shaheed and Shahida Parveen Kiyani girls & boys basketball coaching camps, organized by the Karachi Basketball Association (KBBA) in collaboration with KWSC. During the ceremony, Managing Director of SSWMB, Tariq Ali Nizamani was conferred the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding services to sports and other fields. The event was graced by several notable figures, including Ghulam Muhammad Khan, Director Sports to Commissioner Karachi; Javed Jhangra, Patron of KBBA; Ghulam Abbas Jamal Advocate, President KBBA; Camp Commandant Mohammad Ashraf Yahya, Mohammad Haider Khan, Vice President MCB, Malik Abdul Nasir from FIA; Zulfiqar Abbas Khan from UBL and other dignitaries. In a special highlight, four standout camp players — Mohammad Khan, Abdul Rafi, Amna Ashraf, and Fatima Idrees — were honored with the Ilyas Shakir Award for their exceptional performance. Ghulam Muhammad Khan paid rich tribute to the Sindh Government, particularly Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Minister for Sports Sardar Muhammad Bux Mahar, for their exemplary commitment to sports promotion in the province. He also lauded the efforts of KBBA in promoting basketball and presented cash awards to the camp organizers from his side.
The Star
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Star Media Group wins six Kinabalu Press Awards
Winning smiles: (From left) Sabah bureau chief Datuk Muguntan Vanar, Sokial, Lee, Rebecca Chong and Yong. KOTA KINABALU: Star Media Group Bhd's Sabah bureau bagged a total of six awards with two golds and four merits in this year's prestigious Kinabalu Press Awards. Journalist Stephanie Lee Shao Fen bagged a gold for the Sports Journalism Award with her story 'Giddy up for Polo' while she received three merits for two entries sent in for the Journalism Award (Feature and News Feature) and news reporting (non-feature) categories. One of the merit awards was a team effort with stringer Sandra Vivian Sokial, with their entry titled 'Sabah government to investigate demolition of Palau- community houses in Semporna amid controversy'. Sokial, a seasoned journalist who had been away from the media sector for eight years before rejoining the industry last year, bagged gold in the Entertainment, Culture and Arts reporting category. Her article 'Bringing the tale of Huminodun to the world' earned her RM1,500 in cash. She also received a merit in the business and economic reporting category. Apart from these awards, retired veteran journalist Chan Kang Yuan, 90, received the Golden Service Award. Chan, who started as a copywriter for a local Chinese daily, spent his adult life as a journalist covering stories from the time of the British colonial rule of North Borneo to the formation of Malaysia and beyond during his six decades in the profession. His last position was as editor for another local newspaper before retiring in 2021. During the event's opening ceremony, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor urged media practitioners to work with the state government in disseminating policy information, clarifying fake news and providing ground information to state agencies. He said both the media and state government must continue to have a strategic partnership so that information can be shared for the betterment of the people. His speech was delivered by Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, who is the trustee of the Sabah Journalist Association (SJA). SJA president Mariah Doksil reminded veteran and new reporters to co-exist with artificial intelligence (AI) but never let it take over a writer's creative juices. She also called upon all to work together as a team in the mission to spread verified and dependable information, benefiting readers, policymakers and news writers. Also present was Malaysian Press Institute president Datuk Yong Soo Heong.
Borneo Post
30-06-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
SJA president urges journalists to uphold truth in digital era
Mariah, Joniston and the winners of the Kinabalu Press Awards 2025. KOTA KINABALU (June 30): Sabah Journalists Association (SJA) president Mariah Doksil has urged media practitioners across the state to safeguard the core values of journalism amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing that machines can never replace human integrity, empathy, and truth-telling. Speaking at the Kinabalu Press Awards (KPA) 2025 held at Magellan Sutera on Sunday night, Mariah highlighted both the challenges and the enduring spirit of Sabah's media community. 'Some of us depend too much on AI to write news, to the point that we let a chatbot decide the facts and the style of writing,' she said. 'Yes, AI is smart and helpful, but it has its limits — especially when the topic is complex. We should not rely on a machine to write or edit for us. Let's not surrender our creative juice,' she stressed. Citing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's recent RM30 million allocation for digital transformation under the National Journalists Day (HAWANA) celebration, Mariah urged that the funds be used wisely. 'I hope this allocation will help journalists in Sabah not only to prioritise factual accuracy untouched by AI manipulation but also to preserve the soul and empathy in news reporting,' she said. Acknowledging the mounting challenges faced by mainstream media, Mariah pointed to shifting reading habits, shrinking job opportunities, and waning interest among the youth due to low salaries. Despite this tough landscape, she reaffirmed the critical role of traditional media in combating misinformation, especially as Sabah heads into another election season. 'Mainstream media plays a crucial role in ensuring fair, accurate and balanced reporting, particularly when we are flooded with false or half-truths on various social media platforms,' she said. Mariah also proposed that the state government consider forming smart partnerships with media organisations or through government-linked companies (GLCs) to sustain the media industry. 'SJA believes that such partnerships can ensure the media remains healthy and empowered to continue its responsibility of delivering credible information to society,' she said, adding that any long-term solution requires strong, committed entities. Mariah expressed appreciation to the Sabah government, noting that this year's KPA received RM110,000 in funding — an increase of RM10,000 from the previous year. 'We deeply appreciate the unwavering support from Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor and the Sabah Government, which makes it possible for us to hold such a prestigious event,' she said. She also thanked Sabah's media community for their dedication: 'Tonight, we gather not only to recognise excellent works but also to celebrate the spirit of journalism. Behind every byline, photo credit, audio and visual recording, we too have our own stories of truth-telling, capturing moments with precision and writing with integrity.' On behalf of SJA, she appealed for increased sponsorship for next year's Kinabalu Press Awards. In a poignant gesture, Mariah shared the story of Stefyanie Myla — a former full-time reporter turned stringer to care for her ill two-year-old son. Inside each guest's goody bag was a packet of Beras Wangi rice sold by Stefyanie. 'This year, the committee decided to support Stefyanie by purchasing 100 packets of rice as gifts for our invited guests. It's a small gesture but filled with meaning, reminding us of the strength of our community and how we uplift one another in times of need,' she said. The awards ceremony was officiated by Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, who represented Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor.
The Star
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Star Media Group's Sabah team bags six honours at Kinabalu Press Awards
(From left) Sabah bureau chief Datuk Muguntan Vanar, Sandra Sokial, Stephanie Lee, (another STAR stringer) Rebecca Chong and Yong. KOTA KINABALU: Star Media Group Berhad's Sabah bureau bagged a total of six awards with two golds and four merits in this year's Kinabalu Press Awards. Journalist Stephanie Lee Shao Fen bagged a gold for Sports Journalism with her story "Giddy up for polo", while she received three merit awards for two entries in the Journalism Award (Feature and News Feature) and news reporting (Non-Feature) categories. One merit award was a group effort, "Sabah government to investigate demolition of Palau community houses in Semporna amid controversy". ALSO READ: Giddy up for polo Sandra Vivian Sokial, a veteran journalist who had been away from the media line for eight years before rejoining the industry last year, bagged gold in the Entertainment, Culture and Arts Reporting category. Her article "Bringing the tale of Huminodun to the world" also earned her a RM1,500 cash prize. She also received another merit award in the business and economic reporting category. Retired veteran journalist Chan Kang Yuan, 90, received the Golden Service Award. ALSO READ: Sabah government to investigate demolition of Palau-community houses in Semporna amid controversy Chan, who started as a copywriter for a local Chinese daily, spent his entire working life as a journalist covering stories from the time of the British rule of North Borneo to the formation of Malaysia and beyond during six decades in the profession. His last position was as an editor for another local newspaper, and he retired in 2021. At the event's opening ceremony, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor called on media practitioners to work with the state government to disseminate policy information, clarify fake news, and provide on-the-ground information to state agencies. ALSO READ: Bringing the tale of Huminodun to the world He said both the media and state government must continue to have strategic partnerships so that information can be shared both ways for the betterment of the people. His speech was delivered by state Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, who is the trustee of the Sabah Journalists Association (SJA). Newly minted SJA president Mariah Doksil reminded both veteran and rookie reporters to co-exist with artificial intelligence (AI), but never let it take over a writer's creative efforts. She also called upon all practitioners to work together in the mission to spread verified and dependable information for the benefit of readers, policymakers and journalists. Also present was Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) president Datuk Yong Soo Heong.
New Straits Times
16-06-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Bersih calls for early voting for electorate outside Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: The Election Commission should improve voting accessibility for Sabahans and Sarawakians living in the peninsula. The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) chairperson, Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz, said statistics showed that over 200,000 people from Sabah resided outside their home state. Citing a survey conducted at Universiti Sains Malaysia, he said that only 20 out of over 1,000 students from Sabah and Sarawak responded that they returned home to vote. "With limited flights and expensive airfares, not only students, but also working adults find it difficult to afford the airfare or make the necessary arrangements to return to vote. "Based on the past Sabah state election, the voter turnout was around 56 per cent. Voters aged 18 to 30 made up 53 per cent of the electorate. "If they do not turn out to vote, overall turnout could fall below 50 per cent. What is the point of having a government elected by less than half the electorate? That would be too much of a minority," he said during Bersih's courtesy visit to the Sabah Journalists Association (SJA) committee members here. Present at the meeting were SJA president Mariah Doksil and adviser Datuk Muguntan Vanar. The electoral watchdog had, in March, proposed that the Sabah government announce the dissolution date of the State Assembly earlier to allow voters ample time to prepare. However, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun responded that such an announcement was at the government's prerogative and that it was not necessary. Muhammad Faisal said Bersih had been advocating for voters from Sabah and Sarawak to be allowed to cast early ballots at mega polling centres in the peninsula. He added that the coalition had presented the proposal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, and the Election Commission for consideration. On Bersih's four-day "Road to Reform" programme in Sabah, he said the activities included an election simulation for youths, expert forums, and awareness campaigns. He noted that today's youths were increasingly interested in issues such as climate change and environmental concerns.
