Sarawak: The Sarawak state government will host the Sarawak Media Conference 2026 (SMeC 2026) in conjunction with National Journalists' Day 2026 (HAWANA 2026) here at the end of July, with a focus on interactive workshops involving youth and media practitioners. Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department (Corporate Affairs, Information and UKAS), Datuk Abdullah Saidol, stated that the third edition of the conference is expected to be officiated by Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the conference, which has traditionally spanned two days, will be condensed into a single day this year. It will include a conference followed by workshops at the Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS) and Tegas Digital Village. These workshops will engage youth and university students, with topics covering artificial intelligence, media digitalisation, governance, ethics, regulation, and entrepreneurship within the media industry.

Abdullah added that the state-level HAWANA 2026 celebration will feature a dinner as the annual highlight to recognise media practitioners in the state. In a related event today, Abdullah presented special incentives totaling RM317,800 to six Sarawak journalist associations, including the Kuching Division Journalists' Association, Kuching Independent Journalists' Organisation, and Sibu Journalists' Association.