Lesson from covering Thai major events...

Over the last 25 months I have a bit of experienced on what to expect in Thailand when covering events such as the bombing incident yesterday.

The first thing I noticed is that the Thais are efficient in disseminating information and are very cooperative and helpful. You can get all the information required by contacting the officials. The field people also willing to give cooperation.
So information gathering also easy. The government, the police and military have designated officers as spokesperson and deputy spokepersons.

Many government ministries, police headquarters and so on have allocated a place for the media to work.

There are multiple sources of information.. the police the hospital, the Erawan Emergency Services, the Line chat groups (in Malaysia it is Whatsapp that is popular), and many more ..

But multiple sources mean multiple figures, not because many of them incorrect but because they are giving figures at different time.

The main language is obviously Thai. But there are people who can speak English. In Press Conference, unless it is international or involving foreigners, it will be in Thais. If there are foreigners, there may be translators. But not all translators will translate everything verbatim, some and there are many, will rephrase or just translate whatever they want.

So if you are foreigners and want information better talk to the people after the press conference.

Next issue is about romanised spelling. The Thais writing are almost similar to the Indian. But there are romanised spelling for many things. However, the spellings will be different.. for example .. Chidlom, or Chitlom? they are the same Sakeaw or Sakeo they are referring to same place.. so be correct, hear how it is pronounced. Thus, during the recent bombing, you can expect several versions of spelling for the name of the victims. that is sometime a dilema, guessing which one to use.. that is for now.

MINGGU SIMON

600 Bekas Bubur Lambuk Diedar Kepada Petugas Bernama

Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia (Bernama) atau KPPB mengedarkan sebanyak 600 bekas bubur lambuk Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru pada Ramadan ketujuh hari ini.

Yang Dipertua KPPB Zaharin Mat Noor berkata sumbangan itu adalah sebahagian daripada aktiviti tahunan kesatuan untuk menghargai petugas yang terus komited menjalankan tugas sepanjang bulan puasa.

Sumbangan bubur itu disampaikan oleh Pengerusi Bernama Datuk Abdul Rahman Sulaiman kepada para petugas Bernama di Wisma Bernama, bagi memuliakan amalan bersedekah di bulan Ramadan.

Tahun ini merupakan tahun keempat kesatuan itu mengedarkan bubur lambuk yang begitu sinonim setiap kali tibanya bulan Ramadan.

-- BERNAMA

Sumbangan bubur lambuk...

Shahril seronok berumahtangga...

Setelah berumahtangga, Mohd Shahril Pandak Lamat menyatakan kehidupannya kini “best, bahagia, seronok”.

Walaupun alam perkahwinan membawa bersama tanggungjawab yang lebih besar, namun beliau bersedia menghadapinya.

“Sebalum ini, kalau tak makanpun, kita seorang sahaja, tapi sekarang perlu utamakan isteri,” kata Shahril, 28,  yang semakin segak berpakaian.

Isterinya Nor Hafizah Mat Rais mengajar di Sekolah Kebangsaan Tanjong Bidara di Melaka. 

Beliau berdoa agar isterinya dapat bertukar ke ibu negara untuk berada bersama-samanya

Bernama, TASS Can Forge People-to-people Contact

FotoBERNAMA

The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and Russia's TASS news agency can play a role in bringing the people of both countries closer, says Russian Ambassador to Malaysia Valery N. Yermolov.

He said that in forging people-to-people contact, the role of the media was highly recommended and should be utilised in creating better understanding of each other.

As Bernama and TASS enjoyed warm relations, and both being active members of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), the people of both countries could gain more from this mutual cooperation, he told Bernama during his visit to the news agency's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

"As the role of our media agencies are important, I believe people of both countries will find out more about each other.

"Surely, this will contribute to the countries' development and further understanding on the two countries," said Yermolov, who started his stint in Malaysia in February.

He also said that a TASS reporter would be based here by year-end.

OANA was formed in 1961 on the initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to secure direct and free exchange of news among the news agencies of a region inhabited by more than one half of the world's population.

It provides a news wire service (OANA website) containing articles submitted by its 44 members from 35 countries. The OANA member countries account for two-thirds of the world's news flow.

Bernama hosted the 38th OANA Executive Board Meeting from Feb 13 to 15.

By Nabilah Saleh

-- BERNAMA

Bernama Kaji Langkah Teruskan Operasi BTV

Pengurusan Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia (BERNAMA) sedang mengkaji beberapa langkah untuk membolehkan saluran TV berita Bernama TV (BTV) meneruskan siarannya seperti biasa.

Pengurusan BERNAMA mahu agensi berita nasional itu meneruskan siaran BTV 24 jam itu kerana ia merupakan satu platform efektif untuk penyebaran berita dan maklumat.

BERNAMA telahpun mengambil alih operasi BTV daripada syarikat Bernama TV Synergy Berhad (BRTV) Sdn Bhd sejak November 2011.

Sejak itu, kos operasi termasuk gaji pekerja BRTV tidak lagi dibayar oleh syarikat tersebut tetapi oleh BERNAMA yang memiliki saham 33 peratus sahaja dalam syarikat itu.

Usaha menerusi rundingan untuk BERNAMA memiliki sepenuhnya saham syarikat itu sejak pengambilalihan tersebut sehingga kini tidak berhasil.

"Berikutan itu kami sedang meneliti dan mempertimbangkan beberapa opsyen tentang status pekerja BTV yang di bawah syarikat tersebut" kata Pengurusan BERNAMA dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Siaran berita BTV kini dikurangkan kepada sekitar 12 jam sehari. Namun belum ada keputusan untuk "merehatkan" sementara siaran BTV termasuk pekerja syarikat BRTV yang terus berkhidmat.

Mengulas laporan sebuah portal berita kononnya pekerja BRTV akan diberhentikan dalam masa terdekat, ia adalah spekulasi semata-mata.

Sekalipun BERNAMA terpaksa memberhentikan sementara sepenuhnya siaran BTV tersebut atas sebab-sebab kewangan, namun pekerja terbabit masih diperlukan untuk menerbitkan beberapa kandungan baharu tv itu mulai dari sekarang agar mutu siaran berita dan program yang disajikan lebih menarik perhatian penontonnya apabila siaran dipulihkan kelak.

BERNAMA bercadang memulihkan kembali jumlah waktu siaran BTV apabila ia mempunyai peruntukan kewangan yang cukup untuk mentransformasi saluran tv berita tersebut. Beberapa program 'flagship' sedang dikaji untuk menjadikan tv itu lebih berdaya maju.

-- BERNAMA

Tahniah...

Tiga puluh satu petugas Bernama terima Anugerah Khidmat Cemerlang

FotoBERNAMA

Seramai 31 petugas Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia (Bernama) menerima Anugerah Perkhidmatan Cemerlang 2014 peringkat Kementerian Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (KKMM).

Menteri Komunikasi dan Multimedia Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek menyampaikan anugerah itu berupa sijil penghargaan dan Sijil Simpanan Premium, kepada petugas cemerlang berkenaan selain penerima daripada tujuh lagi jabatan dan agensi di bawah KKMM di Auditorium, Angkasapuri hari ini..

Warga kerja Bernama yang menerima anugerah itu ialah dua Pegawai Berita Unit Bernama.com Bashariah Zainuddin dan Lizawati Bahanan, Pegawai Berita Biro Langkawi Hamdan Ismail, Pegawai Berita Biro Sarawak Rudy Rukimin Rambli, Pegawai Berita Biro Pahang Siti Salwa Sha'ari.

Penerima lain ialah Ketua Biro Melaka Fadzli Ramli, dua Pegawai Berita Biro Pulau Pinang Balkhis Awang@Ahamad dan Nur Adila Abdul Wahab, Pegawai Berita Biro Selangor Nurqalbi Mohd Reda, Pegawai Berita Biro Putrajaya Norsyafawati Ab Wahab dan Pegawai Berita Meja Rencana Sakini Mohd Said.

Ahmad Shabery dalam ucapannya berkata cabaran dan tugas utama warga KKMM adalah memberi kefahaman tentang isu-isu yang menjadi kekeliruan dalam kalangan masyarakat.

Menurut Ahmad Shabery, isu seperti 1Malaysia Development Berhad, kadar hutang negara dan Cukai Barang dan Perkhidmatan menjadi perhatian rakyat kerana mereka keliru.

"Perkara ini yang perlu diambil perhatian supaya penerangan tentang situasi sebenar (diberi secara) jelas kepada semua," katanya.

FotoBERNAMA

Turut menerima anugerah ialah Pegawai Berita Meja Bahasa Mandarin Wong Cheng Hau, Wartawan Meja Berita Jenayah Nur Natasha Aida Ismail, Jurugambar Mohamad Huzaini Md Daud, Jurugambar Mohd Hafizie Mahamad Shabudin, Jurugambar Nur Ain Shafinaz Talib, Jurugambar Shafiqah Fadzil dan Jurugambar Zulkarnain Kamarudin.

Yang lain ialah Pegawai Tadbir Mohd Nadzli Zainal Abidin, Penolong Akauntan Sharil Nizam Mohd Sharif, Pembantu Akauntan Abas Othman, Penjaga Jentera Elektrik Kamalfikri Makrom, Penjaga Jeneral Elektrik Mohd Suffian Juraimi, Pembantu Tadbir Mohd Tadzman Utuh Tang, Pembantu Tadbir Nooru Ermizan Coree, Pembantu Tadbir Nooryuhaida Yusof, Pembantu Tadbir Norazura Daud, Pembantu Tadbir Dyg Siti Normah Abg Bolhassan, Pengawal Keselamatan Amral Ibrahim dan Pegawai Keselamatan Mohd Nur Hadith Zaini.

Ketika ditemu bual, Nur Adila berkata beliau tidak menyangka akan memperoleh anugerah itu dan akan menjadikan pengiktirafan berkenaan sebagai pemangkin untuk lebih berjaya pada masa depan.

Sakini pula berkata beliau mendedikasikan anugerah itu kepada ibunya, Rabaeyah Mohd Said yang kini mengalami masalah kesihatan.

Turut hadir pada majlis itu ialah Ketua Setiausaha KKMM Datuk Seri Dr Sharifah Zaharah Syed Ahmad, Pengurus Besar Bernama Datuk Zulkefli Salleh serta ketua-ketua jabatan dan agensi di bawah KKMM.

-- BERNAMA

Mokhtar Re-elected NPC President

Mokhtar Hussain, deputy editor-in-chief (domestic news service) of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), has been returned unopposed as the president of the National Press Club (NPC) for the 2015-2017 term.
M Veera Pandiyan of The Star and Muharyani Othman of Bernama were also returned unopposed, as the deputy president and vice-president, respectively, in the biennial elections held at the 23rd annual general meeting of the NPC at its clubhouse in Jalan Tangsi here last night.
M. Govind Nair of Bernama and Mohd Ghazemy Mahmud of Syed Hussain Publications were elected unopposed as the secretary and assistant secretary, respectively, while S.P. Manivasagam of Mannan Monthly and L. Jaiarajo of Bernama were returned unopposed as the treasurer and assistant treasurer, respectively.
Eight committee members were elected at the AGM, namely Mikhail Raj Abdullah (Bernama); K. Sivanesan (Tamil Press); Linda Khoo (Bernama); Haresh Deol (The Malay Mail); Joe Fernando (Equine News); Beh Yuen Hui (The Star); Leslie Andres (New Straits Times) and Edward Rajendra (The Star).
About 60 members attended the AGM.
-- BERNAMA

North Korea Expresses Confidence In Malaysia's Chairmanship Of Asean

North Korea today expressed confidence in Malaysia's capability to promote regional and global peace and security as chairman of ASEAN 2015.
North Korean Ambassador to Malaysia, Kang Chol said the republic believed Malaysia would champion such key issues via dialogues and meetings among ASEAN members.
"We are very pleased that Malaysia is the chairman of ASEAN this year. We hope the Malaysian Government and people will do their best to be active in the international platform to meet the interest and will of the people in this region.
"We also hope the Malaysian Government will support and extend solidarity to the just cause of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Government and people in their struggle for peace and independence...to ease military tension in the Korean peninsular," he told Bernama today.
Kang Chol was met during his second visit to the news agency's office here, where he was briefed by Bernama editor-in-chief Datuk Zakaria Abdul Wahab on the agency's operations.
Kang Chol said DPRK would be involved in various ASEAN meetings as it was also a member of the ASEAN regional forum.
According to him, it was important for his government to develop and extend relations with ASEAN and its members through dialogue and partnership during the ASEAN meetings.
Malaysia took over the ASEAN chairmanship from Myanmar and has pledged to steer the 10-member grouping towards an integrated and people-centred ASEAN Community, which is scheduled to be established in December this year.

By Mohd Faizal Hassan
-- BERNAMA

Akhbar Indonesia Mahu Kerjasama Dengan Bernama

FotoBERNAMA

Kedaulatan Rakyat, akhbar terbesar dan tertua di Yogyakarta, Indonesia, hari ini melahirkan minat untuk mengadakan kerjasama dengan Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia (Bernama) dalam perkongsian berita melibatkan kedua-dua negara.

Ketua Pengarangnya Dr Okto Lampito berkata kerjasama itu terutama sekali dalam liputan berita yang berkaitan dengan Asean dan antarabangsa seperti Pameran Maritim dan Udara Antarabangsa Langkawi 2015 (LIMA'15) yang berakhir Ahad, serta Sidang Kemuncak Asean 2015.

"Kami memang sepakat seperti pertukaran di online (Kedaulatan Rakyat Online), kami mahu ambil berita yang menarik kerana ramai tokoh-tokoh Malaysia datang ke Jogjakarta yang boleh sahaja kami ambil berita itu," katanya kepada Bernama.

Beliau yang mengetuai rombongan akhbar tersebut seramai 35 orang, dalam rangka lawatan ke Singapura dan Malaysia, berkata pihaknya bercadang membuka stesen televisyen, turut berminat untuk mempelajari dan berkongsi pengalaman dengan Bernama dalam bidang tersebut.

Lawatan rombongan editorial akhbar Kedaulatan Rakyat ke Bernama disambut oleh Pengurus Besar Bernama Datuk Zulkefli Salleh dan taklimat mengenai operasi agensi berita itu disampaikan oleh Ketua Pengarang Bernama Datuk Zakaria Abdul Wahab.

Sementara itu, Zulkefli turut menyatakan kesediaan Bernama bekerjasama dengan Kedaulatan Rakyat untuk pertukaran maklumat dalam usaha memperteguhkan lagi kerjasama di rantau ini.

Beliau berkata Bernama berbesar hati, Kedaulatan Rakyat ingin belajar pengalaman Bernama.

"Kami juga boleh belajar banyak daripada Kedaulatan Rakyat yang merupakan akhbar tertua dan popular di Jawa Tengah (diterbitkan sejak 27 Sept 1945)," katanya.

-- BERNAMA