Anwar announces RM1mil boost for journalists’ welfare fund

BUTTERWORTH: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today announced a RM1 million allocation for Tabung Kasih @ Hawana, a welfare fund established to assist active and former media practitioners in need, including those requiring health-related support.

The fund, managed by Bernama, has disbursed RM2.26 million in aid to 773 media practitioners nationwide since its establishment in April 2023.

Anwar also announced that the government has agreed to continue the Media Innovation Fund to support local media organisations in implementing innovation initiatives and strengthening digital transformation in the industry.

He said 72 media companies have received RM24.57 million in funding from the initiative, which was allocated RM30 million last year.

“The allocation is ready to be used. We increased it so that there will not be any disruptions to the fund.

“So, this is the good news. Keep up the good work,” Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said when launching the National Journalists’ Day (Hawana) celebration at the PICCA@Arena Butterworth Convention Centre.

Earlier, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil announced that Telekom Malaysia (TM) has agreed to contribute RM500,000 to the fund as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.

Fahmi expressed hope that more GLCs and private firms would follow TM’s example in supporting local media organisations through strategic collaborations, including CSR programmes, sponsorships, and industry development initiatives.

He said this was particularly important as media companies continue to face significant decreases in advertising revenue, with spending on advertising placements and media buys declining from RM4.5 billion annually to about RM2 billion in recent years.