Kuala lumpur: The HAWANA-DBP 2026 Pantun Festival serves as a crucial platform for enhancing journalistic integrity and promoting Malaysia's cultural heritage in the digital era, according to Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin. She emphasized that the traditional Malay poetry festival is not just about linguistic artistry but also reflects Bernama's commitment to empowering the national language and positioning pantun as a culturally rich medium of communication.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nur-ul Afida remarked at the festival's closing ceremony that pantun is more than a beautiful arrangement of words; it embodies societal values, courtesy, satire, advice, and unity. She stressed the importance of preserving heritage art forms like pantun in today's fast-paced digital and technological era to prevent them from being lost over time. Nur-ul Afida also chairs the 2026 National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) working committee.
Key figures present at the event included Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah, Bernama deputy editor-in-chief (News Services) Mohd Shukri Ishak, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Language and Literature Development Department acting director Roziah Md Yunus, and Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation senior director Azran Arip. Nur-ul Afida highlighted Bernama's responsibility to shape the national narrative and strengthen Malaysia's identity in a competitive global media landscape.
She noted the strategic collaboration between Bernama and DBP as a reflection of an integrated approach to empower high-quality local content, aligning with the aspiration to make Malay a language of knowledge and communication in the digital economy. The festival also supports the development of new-generation talent among young media practitioners, emphasizing the value of language, culture, and communication ethics.
Discussing the theme of this year's festival, Journalism and Technology, Nur-ul Afida acknowledged the impact of digital platforms, social media, and artificial intelligence on journalism, while emphasizing the non-negotiable core values of accuracy, integrity, credibility, responsibility, and ethical information delivery. This aligns with the HAWANA 2026 theme, Media Integrity Strengthens Credibility, focusing on delivering information honestly and responsibly to build public trust.
Nur-ul Afida expressed gratitude to the eight competing teams: Bernama, RTM, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), Astro Radio News, Berita Harian, TV3, Sinar Harian, and Media Selangor. She also acknowledged the efforts of the Bernama organizing committee and the cooperation of DBP and Kraftangan Malaysia as strategic partners.
The HAWANA-DBP 2026 Pantun Festival is part of the lead-up to the main HAWANA 2026 celebration in Penang on June 20, organized by the Ministry of Communications with Bernama as the implementing agency. HAWANA is a premier platform recognizing the contributions, dedication, and professionalism of media practitioners in Malaysia.