Coordinated by MCMM’s
International Division, the meeting reviewed various programmes conducted
by departments and agencies under the ministry.
Preparation for the national-level ‘Unesco Day 2013’ celebrations to be held in Melaka from October
3 to 6 was also highlighted.
Being held for the second
year running, the ‘Unesco Day’ celebration this time would be significant as it
would mark the 55th
anniversary of the country’s membership in the Paris-based organisation.
Plans are afoot for the sub-committee
to take up booths to showcase its activities during the four-day affair.
While reservations had been
raised about the lack of publicity for Unesco-related
activities in the country, the situation is expected to improve in the run-up
to the Unesco Day celebrations .
Talking about impact of Unesco
in Malaysia, Bernama is a shining example of Unesco success story having taken its
root from a meeting of national news agencies convened by Unesco in Bangkok in December
1961.
The Federation of Malaya was
represented by Mr K.C.Arun at the meeting which requested Unesco to assist in
the formation of national news agencies in Asia.
It was generally felt the
role of the national news agencies was of equal importance to that of the
established world agencies and was perhaps complementary.
The meeting also formed an
Organisation of Asian News Agencies (OANA) to develop fraternal contacts and
professional cooperation among news agencies in the region.
As a follow-up, Lloyd
Sommerlad of Unesco visited Kuala Lumpur in July 1962 when the working
committee for the establishment of a national news agency was formed at a
meeting attended by 22 representatives of 15 local newspapers and official mass
media.
The Director of Information
Services was elected chairman of the committee while Arun as secretary.
They agreed that a national
news agency would be of immense benefit
to Malaysia as a primary medium in the field of mass communications.
It would serve newspapers
throughout the country, radio and television.
Its services would also be
available to ministries, foreign correspondents, diplomatic missions and
commercial enterprises
The meeting recommended to
government that the services of a United Nations expert be secured to undertake
a detailed study of the costs and organisation of the national news agency.
Accordingly, Unesco
sponsored a short-term mission by Mr Sadao Roy Otake, then executive news
editor of Kyodo News Agency, to survey the prospects and potential of the news
agency project.
Mr Otake undertook his
mission in November and December 1962 and presented a comprehensive report.
The Working Committee
unanimously endorsed Mr Otake’s recommendations for a news agency at its
meeting in May 1963.
The Cabinet, at its meeting
held on 4 August 1965, also approved in principle the formation of a national
news agency as envisaged in the Otake Report and the recommendations of the
Working Committee.
The agency was to be known
as Sharikat Berita Nastional Malaysia Berhad or Bernama in short.
The Cabinet authorised the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to undertake, in coonsultation with
other ministries and the Working Committee, a detailed study of desirable
government assistance to the agency.
Meanwhile, action was
initiated to secure the services of a United Nations expert on a second
mission, to advise on the detailed planning and organisation of the agency.
Unesco recruited Donald
J.Dallas, a senior editor of Reuters with a wide international experience, who
had undertaken a similar mission in Libya in 1964 and 1965.
Dallas arrived in Kuala
Lumpur on 6 February 1966 and was offered full facilities for his work by the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
He presented his Initial
Report covering the period of February to June 1966 which served as
blueprint to Bernama’s establishment through an Act of Parliament in 1967.
Bernama started operations
on May 20, 1968, launching a service in both English and Bahasa Malaysia from a government bungalow, not far from the present headquarters at Jalan Tun Razak.
A list of those news stories
which would never have seen the light of day but for Bernama initiative would
be very impressive.
“The Bernama involvement has been an important slice of my life,” he
said.
In the report, Dallas
recalled the words of then Deputy Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, which were
quoted in his Initial Report:
“The
best way of countering false propaganda, he said, was to “employ the clean and
straight methods of ‘pure publicity’ based on truth and hard indisputable
facts…
“One
of the mainstays of democracy is a well-informed public.”
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