Wartawan Cerita Saat Terkandas di Kuala Krai...

Seorang wartawan dan jurugambar Utusan Malaysia hari ini menceritakan pengalaman mencabar berada di jajahan paling teruk terjejas banjir di Kelantan iaitu Kuala Krai.

Menceritakan kembali detik cemas terkandas selama dua hari sejak Rabu lepas, Zaain Zain berkata pelbagai pengalaman terpaksa dilaluinya ketika membuat liputan banjir di kawasan berkenaan.

"Kami perlu meredah air paras dada dalam keadaan hujan lebat, menumpang kenderaan orang ramai dan menaiki tujuh buah bot sebelum tiba di bandar Kuala Krai berikutan jalan ditenggelami air.

"Ada satu ketika, kami melihat ada seorang remaja dihanyutkan bersama motosikalnya kerana arus deras ... nasib baik beliau sempat diselamatkan orang ramai," katanya kepada Bernama di Kota Baharu, Kelantan.

Beliau berkata ketika tiba di bandar Kuala Krai hampir keseluruhan bandar itu ditenggelami air.

"Kawasan itu bagaikan lautan hanya nampak air bila tiba di kawasan bandar, memang menitis air mata melihat semua musnah. Kami pada mulanya ingin ke Kampung Manek Urai tetapi tidak dapat ke sana berikutan tiada pengangkutan yang mahu membawa kami ke sana," katanya.

Zaain berkata beliau terpaksa tidur di dalam trak milik tentera yang keluar menyelamatkan mangsa banjir.

"Kami tidak dapat keluar ke Kota Baharu kerana air semakin tinggi, jadi kami terpaksa bermalam di Kuala Krai. Kami juga terpaksa menahan lapar berikutan bekalan makanan tiada dan kesejukan kerana pakaian basah," katanya.

Sementara itu, jurugambar Jazaly Amry Jaafar berkata keadaan banjir di Kuala Krai sangat serius.

"Saat paling tidak dapat dilupakan ialah bot yang dinaiki hanyut kerana enjin bot rosak, kami dihanyutkan ke kawasan kebun getah. Kami bernasib baik kerana pengendali bot dapat menghidupkan kembali enjin dan membawa kami ke tempat selamat," katanya.

Jazaly Amry berkata apa yang lebih menyayat hati ialah ketika sedang menaiki bot, beliau melihat orang ramai meminta bantuan dari tingkat tiga bangunan Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kuala Krai.

"Air dah berada di tingkat dua sekolah berkenaan dan pada waktu malam hanya nampak lilin di bahagian koridor sekolah berkenaan kerana bekalan elektrik terputus. Bot juga bergerak berpandukan tiang elektrik yang berada di tepi jalan.

"Berpuluh kenderaan seperti lori dan kereta ditenggelami air kerana tidak dapat keluar berikutan jalan keluar turut dinaiki air," katanya.

Menurutnya tugasan tersebut merupakan pengalaman yang tidak dapat dilupakan kerana penuh dengan cabaran.

-- BERNAMA

Pembantu Tadbir Bernama Meninggal Dunia

Pembantu tadbir Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia (Bernama), Hamidah Ahmad, 57, meninggal dunia di Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM) hari ini akibat kanser.

Suaminya, Rijalludin Mohamed Taib, 44, berkata Allahyarham yang dikesan menghidap penyakit itu sejak dua tahun lepas, meninggal dunia pada 7.15 pagi.

Rijalludin berkata arwah isterinya, yang bertugas di Perkhidmatan Berita Ekonomi (PBE) Bernama, merahsiakan penyakit yang dialaminya itu daripada pengetahuan banyak pihak.

"Arwah sangat perahsia. Dia sakit pun tak bagi tahu sesiapa kecuali orang yang rapat dengannya sahaja sebab dia tak mahu orang lain risau dan tak mahu menyusahkan sesiapa.

"Alhamdulillah, saya dapat bawa arwah pergi menunaikan umrah sempena hari kelahirannya 8 April lepas," katanya dalam nada sebak kepada Bernama.

Rijalludin berkata sebelum Hamidah menghembuskan nafasnya yang terakhir, Allahyarham sempat memohon maaf kepada seluruh anggota keluarga dan rakan-rakannya.

Berasal dari Kota Sarang Semut, Alor Setar, Kedah, Allahyarham turut meninggalkan anak lelaki, Mohd Arif, 14.

Allahyarham berkhidmat di Bernama sejak 1983.

Menurut Rijalludin, jenazah disembahyangkan di Masjid Kampung Sesapan Batu Rembau, Beranang, Selangor sebelum dikebumikan di Tanah Perkuburan Islam Beranang petang ini.

Sementara itu, Timbalan Ketua Pengarang (Perkhidmatan Berita Dalam Negeri) Bernama, Mokhtar Hussain menyifatkan Allahyarham seorang yang peramah dan begitu disenangi rakan-rakannya.

"Arwah seorang yang mesra, ceria dan sangat berdedikasi dalam menjalankan segala tugasnya dengan penuh tanggungjawab," katanya.

-- BERNAMA

Of being hurt...

An award-winning Malaysian film director once said during a year-end interview that she had learned a valuable lesson that year.
"If you have been belittled, humiliated or jilted by the person you love, you are the luckiest person on earth," she said.
"Why?" the reporter wondered.
"You know what hurt means...for someone who has gone through the experience, surely you would not want to hurt others," she said.
The people you meet who affect your life and the success and downfalls you experience help to create who you are and who you become.
Even the bad experiences can offer good lessons for us. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.
If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart.
If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.
Make every day count.
Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again.

Bernama Radio24 dan Radio China International jalin kerjasama...

Bernama Radio24 dan China Radio International akan meneruskan kerjasama menempatkan wakil di stesen masing-masing dalam menjalin hubungan erat antara kedua-dua negara.

Persetujuan itu dicapai dalam pertemuan delegasi CRI diketuai Timbalan Pengarah Pusat Penyiaran Asia Tenggara merangkap Pengarah Perkhidmatan Bahasa Melayu Puan Zhang Wenwen dengan Pengurus Besar Bernama Datuk Zulkefli Salleh di Wisma Bernama hari ini.

Zhang berkata kerjasama yang bermula pada tahun 2009 itu membuka jalan kepada pertukaran penempatan pegawai setahun kemudian.

Memandangkan banyak kebaikan diperolehi kedua-dua pihak, wajar usaha itu diteruskan.

“Kita sama-sama menghadapi cabaran media baru….kami pun kini berusaha menyiarkan berita yang lebih pendek, mesra pengguna,” katanya yang mengetuai delegasi empat orang.

Ditubuhkan pada tahun 1941, CRI mempunyai lapan bahagaian bahasa termasuk bahasa Melayu, Indonesia, Vietnam dan Thai.

Zulkefli berkata kerjasama itu membolehkan Bernama Radio24, yang baru berusia tujuh tahun, mempelajari banyak aspek daripada sebuah stesen berpengalaman.

Memorandum persefahaman yang baharu sedang diteliti untuk ditandatangani tahun depan.

Dr Sharifah Zarah new secretary-general...

FotoBERNAMA

Public Service Department deputy director-general (Development) Datuk Seri Dr Sharifah Zarah Syed Ahmad has been appointed as the new Communication and Multimedia Ministry Secretary-General, effective today.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa in a statement said Sharifah Zarah replaced Datuk Seri Abd Rahim Mohd Radzi, who had been appointed as the new Defence Ministry Secretary-General.
"Sharifah Zarah has vast experience in social development, science and technology, international relations and human resource management.
"I'm confident that her qualification, experience, knowledge and credibility will enable her to lead and maintain KKMM's excellent performance as a leading communication and multimedia channel in line with the National Transformation Agenda," Ali said.
Sharifah Zarah, 58, is the holder of a doctorate degree in Social Planning from University of Leeds, United Kingdom, a Masters degree in human resource from University of Pittsburgh, United States and a Bachelor's degree in History and Malay Studies from Universiti Malaya.
Ali said Sharifah Sarah began her career in the public service in December 1981 and had been around for over 33 years.
Among the positions held by her were deputy secretary-general (Policy) of the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, director-general of Women Development Department under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, Minister/Advisor for Malaysian Embassy in New York under the Foreign Ministry and director of Women's Affairs under the Prime Minister's Department.
--BERNAMA

Bernama a family to me, says Yong

In an emotional farewell speech, retired general manager Datuk Yong Soo Heong paid tribute to Bernama after serving 40 years in the organization he regards as a family.

“The family spirit means no one is left behind or forgotten, no family is perfect, we argue but family is family...

“Through Bernama I have a better life, got to know more people,” he said at a farewell-do organized by Bernama to capped his illustrious career from 1974 to 2014 at Wisma Bernama today.

Yong recalled that  he sometimes come across people who told him that he was familiar to them.

“I’ll be scratching my head in the toilet trying to figure out who the person I met in the car park was,” he said.

He also spoke of the time when former General Manager Datuk Syed Jamil  Jaafar, then the editor-in-chief,  asked him  to interview then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the Prime Minister’s office at Jalan Datuk Onn.

Not wanting to be late and take chances of the heavy traffic, he got an Indian guy on motorcycle in Setapak to take him to the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The only road that he knew was Jalan Kuching and when we passed through Jalan Kenny, he took his time admiring the big bungalows in the area.

“I was of course worried and pestered him to rush me to the Prime Minister’s office.

“We arrived on time but I forgot to claim the RM50 which I paid the man,” he quipped.

One of the saddest moment in his illustrious career was after the 2008 general elections when a state leader insisted Bernama came out with an apology letter over a misreporting.

Yong wrote the letter but did not expect the state leader to go to town with the letter inferring how incompetent a government agency was.

Despite the unpleasant episode, Yong said he mostly had great feelings throughout his career.

He thanked his seniors including former news editor Musa Scully, now NAM News Network (NNN) director, who was among those who turned up for the farewell party.

“He gave me a follow-up to find out why the price of fish went up,” Yong recalled of an assignment Musa gave him early in his career.

“Can you imagine the bewilderment I was in…for three hours, I sweated trying to find out why the price had gone up,” he said.

Yong also remembered the time when he was a sports reporter covering the Pestabola Merdeka, the grand football tournament of yesteryears.

After a dinner at the Royal Selangor Golf Club, he followed sports editor Tai Sing Onn home to his just-bought house at Old Klang Road, each carrying a Tiger beer glass.

He did not know why they were carrying the glasses, which accidently dropped along the way and cut Tai’s hand.

But the late Tai remained cheerful and exclaimed “Merry Christmas” when he reached home.

“I didn’t know why he mentioned Christmas when the Pestabola Merdeka was held in August,” he said. 
Speaking to journalists later, Yong said  Bernama employees including reporters should be open to criticisms from their respective department heads to be relevant as a respected official news source.
He said each criticism is aimed at bringing changes for the better not only to the agency, but also to the employees of the organization.
"In the world of journalism, for example, 'deadline' is very important and sometimes the pressure experienced by the seniors is very strong. 
Therefore, in a journalism career, we must be prepared to accept criticisms, as otherwise how are we to learn.
"So, a warning by a senior must be taken with an open mind so that we can perform any task better," he said.

FotoBERNAMA

Yong reminded employees in the news agency to endeavour to show their best performance and safeguard the reputation of the organisation.
"If we were a journalist, we must not become a 'consumer' of news written by others, but rather that we must endeavor to do something so that more people read and see our news," he said.
Yong, who retired in October, said that if the matter was adhered to by every journalist, it would be beneficial and make the organisation more renowned.
"This is a very important matter. When we often seek to give our best performance, when we are offered tougher assignments in the future, we can do them with excellence and perfection," he said.
Yong joined BERNAMA as a cadet reporter in 1974 before becoming Assistant Editor in 1993, editor in 1997 and Executive Editor of Economic News Service in 2004.
He was later promoted to Editor-in-Chief for six years from March 1, 2007 to March 14, 2013, and General Manager on 1 Jan 2013.
--BERNAMA

Koperasi edar air bertenaga ...

FotoBERNAMA

Koperasi Bernama akan membantu FAMR Holdings untuk mempertingkatkan promosi dan publisiti ke atas produk F & A Cypress, air minuman alkali yang mengandungi 84 mineral.

Perjanjian kerjasama itu ditandatangani Pengurus Besar Bernama merangkap Pengerusi Koperasi BERNAMA Berhad Datuk Zulkefli Salleh dan Pengarah Urusan Famr Holding Sdn Bhd, Siti Zaleha Abd Ghani di Wisma Bernama hari ini.

Turut hadir Ketua Biro Ekonomi Koperasi BERNAMA Berhad, Syed Khedher Ismail.

Datuk Zulkefli menyambut baik kerjasama itu kerana yakin khasiat air minuman syarikat berkenaan boleh membantu meningkatkan tahap kesihatan pengguna. 

Siti Zaleha pula berkata syarikat itu berharap melalui kerjasama berkenaan, kedua-dua pihak dapat berkongsi air mineral (F&A) Cypress untuk semua.

“Koperasi Bernama boleh bantu dalam bentuk promosi dan beri info tertentu tentang bahan-bahan produk kita yang ada sekarang”. 

“Semua bahan-bahan ‘sunnah’ dalam air mineral tersebut telah dibuat kajian. Antaranya, garam Kristal Hunza, Amber(Getah) pokok Pine Cypress , daun  Cypress dan Al Manna, prebiotik semulajadi yang boleh memberi kesan positif kepada tahap kesihatan individu,” katanya.

Menurut Siti Zaleha, syarikatnya hanya mengeluarkan air minuman jenama F & A Cypress sahaja. Ditubuhkan kira-kira 4 tahun lepas, FAMR Holdings mempunyai kilangnya di Johor. 

Buat masa ini, harga pasaran bagi produk air mineral berkhasiat itu ialah RM4.50 sebotol.

Oleh Syed Khedher Ismail 

Datuk Zul pengerusikan mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Pengurusan

Datuk Zulkefli Salleh pagi ini pertama kali mempengerusikan mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bernama sebagai pengurus besar sejak pelantikannya diumumkan 9 Disember lepas.

Beliau antara lain meminta anggota jawatankuasa merenung apa yang telah Bernama lakukan pada tahun 2014 serta memberikan cadangan untuk menjadikan Bernama lebih baik dari segala segi – kewangan, pendapatan, produk dan nama.

Mesyuarat turut dimaklumkan bahawa Lembaga Pengelola Bernama bersetuju agar tempoh menunggu bagi permohonan pinjaman komputer disingkatkan dari tiga tahun kepada enam bulan dari tarikh pembayaran terakhir.

Had pinjaman motosikal juga dinaikkan daripada RM5,000 kepada RM10,000 berkuatkuasa serta-merta.

Kedua-dua cadangan itu dikemukakan oleh Kesatuan Pekerja-pekerja Bernama semasa mesyuarat Majlis Bersama Jabatan dengan pihak pengurusan.

Lembaga Pengelola juga bersetuju membenarkan petugas komersil memberikan notis sebulan untuk menamatkan perkhidmatan berbanding tiga bulan sekarang. 

Russian, South Korean News Agencies To Strengthen Ties With BERNAMA

Russia's Itar-Tass news agency and Yonhap of South Korea have expressed their interest to strengthen cooperation with BERNAMA as they congratulate Datuk Zulkefli Salleh on his appointment as general manager.

Itar-Tass Director-General, Sergey Mikhaylov said he looked forward to working closely with Zulkefli to maintain cordial relations and strengthen cooperation between the two agencies.

Mikhaylov, the current chairman of the 44-strong Organisation of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA), made the remarks in his congratulatory letter to Zulkefli, who represents BERNAMA in the OANA Executive Board.

Yonhap President and CEO, Song Hyun-Seung also extended his congratulations to Zulkefli, saying it was a well-deserved appointment.

"I am firmly convinced that the already excellent and close relationship between our two leading agencies of Malaysia and South Korea will continue in the coming years and will further improve under your leadership based on your broad experiences from serving in important posts, including as editor-in-chief," Song he said in his congratulatory letter.

He hoped that both news agencies, being OANA board members, would be able to work closely under the frame of OANA leadership, while elevating mutual collaboration to the next level.

"I hope your agency will successfully hold the 38th OANA Executive Board Meeting in February next year in Kuala Lumpur, bearing a fruitful result and further contributing to OANA's development and closer ties of member agencies," said Song.

--BERNAMA