Bernama to organise Asean Editors Dialogue ...

Bernama is set to organize an Asean Editors Dialogue and an Asean Journalists Exchange Visit Programme next year as Malaysia assumes the Asean chairmanship.

Both projects, proposed by Bernama, had been approved at the 15^th Meeting of the Asean-COCI Sub-Committee on Information (SCI) in Phnom Penh in May.

Malaysia had tabled three projects but the meeting decided to approve only two for each member country.

This was disclosed by the Under Secretary of the International Division of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia (KKMM) S. Elangovan at a meeting to discuss the ministry’s activities to mark Malaysia’s  chairmanship of the 10-member association next year.

The ministry’s Deputy Secretary-General Datuk Mohid Mohamed chaired the meeting at the International Division on the 26^th floor of the KKMM Complex in Putrajaya.

“The Asean Editors Dialogue could well become an annual project…we can have it probably for up to 10 years,” said Elangovan.
Asean-related news articles and photography contests could be held among Asean pressmen with the awards presented during the Dialogue.
Another option is for the topic to be included in the Dialogue agenda as an effort  to enhance Asean awareness and visibility. 

The Asean Plus Three Exchange Visit was primarily for Bernama to organize visits of  Asean journalists to the grouping’s three major Asian dialogue partners – starting with Japan and later to South Korea and China.

The fund would be provided by the dialogue partners with Japan already giving its commitment.

Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean is significant as 2015 had been earmarked as the year for the creation of the Asean Community.

The meeting touched on the Asean Socio-cultural Community Communication Plan (ASCC) which hopes to propel the objectives of the Asean Community.

The plan aims to enhance public awareness, shape public perceptions and generate greater public participation in building the Asean Community.