The Media Editors Forum in Batam, Indonesia,
involving media practitioners from Indonesia-Malaysia and several Asean
countries, today gave its full support for a proposal by Malaysia to organise
the first Asean Editors Summit this year.
The proposal was raised by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek and was unanimously accepted by participants from Asean founding countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.
The forum was held in conjunction with Indonesia's National Press Day celebration in Batam, Indonesia.
Ahmad Shabery later told reporters based on the spirit of the forum organised by Indonesian media practitioners and as the current Asean secretariat, Malaysia offered to host the first Asean Editors Summit.
He said the summit, aimed at strengthening cooperation and promoting the spirit of Asean, will be held in Kuala Lumpur in August.
"We see the summit as important as we talk about Asean community not only as an event but a process of forming perception and thinking of the people of Asean countries.
"The media played an important role in building the Asean community perception among its 600 million population as Asean has a large market," he said adding that his ministry would be the sponsor for the summit and organised by media associations.
Meanwhile, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) general manager Datuk Zulkefli Salleh who is also the chairman of the Malaysia-Indonesia Journalists Friendship Alliance (Iswami) said the proposal to organise the summit was timely, especially for the formation of the Asean community.
He said, even though media practitioners in Asean countries were nationalistic in their outlook, they should not forget the importance of the region.
"If Western countries can create an European Community and so on, Asean countries should also give priority to Asean community so that Asean could become a developed and respected block," he said.
Zulkefli said as an example, in the tourism industry, Asean countries should not be competing among themselves but should instead set up a network for tourists all over the world to visit Asean countries.
About 100 mass media practitioners from Asean countries are participating in the three-day forum which began yesterday and among the participants from Malaysia included Bernama chairman Datuk Abdul Rahman Sulaiman, Bernama Editor-In-chief Datuk Zakaria Abdul Wahab and Zulkefli.
The proposal was raised by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek and was unanimously accepted by participants from Asean founding countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.
The forum was held in conjunction with Indonesia's National Press Day celebration in Batam, Indonesia.
Ahmad Shabery later told reporters based on the spirit of the forum organised by Indonesian media practitioners and as the current Asean secretariat, Malaysia offered to host the first Asean Editors Summit.
He said the summit, aimed at strengthening cooperation and promoting the spirit of Asean, will be held in Kuala Lumpur in August.
"We see the summit as important as we talk about Asean community not only as an event but a process of forming perception and thinking of the people of Asean countries.
"The media played an important role in building the Asean community perception among its 600 million population as Asean has a large market," he said adding that his ministry would be the sponsor for the summit and organised by media associations.
Meanwhile, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) general manager Datuk Zulkefli Salleh who is also the chairman of the Malaysia-Indonesia Journalists Friendship Alliance (Iswami) said the proposal to organise the summit was timely, especially for the formation of the Asean community.
He said, even though media practitioners in Asean countries were nationalistic in their outlook, they should not forget the importance of the region.
"If Western countries can create an European Community and so on, Asean countries should also give priority to Asean community so that Asean could become a developed and respected block," he said.
Zulkefli said as an example, in the tourism industry, Asean countries should not be competing among themselves but should instead set up a network for tourists all over the world to visit Asean countries.
About 100 mass media practitioners from Asean countries are participating in the three-day forum which began yesterday and among the participants from Malaysia included Bernama chairman Datuk Abdul Rahman Sulaiman, Bernama Editor-In-chief Datuk Zakaria Abdul Wahab and Zulkefli.
From Azeman Ariffin
-- BERNAMA
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