By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Aug 23: Journalists must report accurately as Sarawak’s economy grows and new investments and projects take shape, says Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn.
He said business reporting is a niche segment of journalism, requiring one to be “accurate” and sure about the information being reported, as it involves numbers, figures and percentages.
“Sometimes, research works are needed before a business journalist produces an article as he or she needs to be familiar with certain rules and regulations.
“For instance, like the listing requirements of a public listed company on the stock exchange, or known as Bursa Malaysia, what’s the percentage needed for a company to have a Mandatory General Offer (MGO) and what are the responsibilities of directors, or whether the company makes timely announcement of their financial results or not.
“This is some of the necessary information that business or financial journalists need to be aware of,” he said in a speech read by MEITD Head of Innovation Division Dr Cheong Yaw Liang during the opening ceremony of Pertubuhan Wartawan Bebas Kuching’s (Pewarta) Business Writing Workshop held at Harbour View Hotel here today.
Sagah further emphasised the critical role of journalists in conveying accurate information amid Sarawak’s economic growth.
“As Sarawak’s economy is growing and with many investments and projects being carried out in Sarawak over the next few years, we need the journalists to be able to disseminate the information from the public and private sector correctly,” he added.
The workshop featured Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) president Datuk Yong Soo Heong as the main trainer. Yong has vast experience in business writing, including being the former National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer and editor-in-chief, and recently received the HAWANA 2025 Award.
He conducted three sessions covering how to become a better business journalist, how to extract engaging stories from annual reports of public-listed companies, and how to write persuasive corporate proposals.
A panel discussion followed, featuring Sarawak Deputy State Secretary Dato Sri Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel, Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations (SFCA) president Dato Richard Wee Liang Chiat, and Yong, moderated by Federation of Sarawak Journalists Association (FSJA) president Ronnie Teo.
Nearly 40 participants attended the workshop. Also present were DayakDaily director and Pewarta advisor Lian Cheng, Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) Sarawak Chapter president Alice Wee, Pewarta president Peter Sibon, deputy president Wilfred Pilo and Pewarta Business Writing Workshop organising chairman Adrian Lim. — DayakDaily
