I recently had the opportunity to catch up with friends from other newspapers at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) Sarawak Branch, held at a café.
It was wonderful to meet friends whom I had not seen for a long time and reminisce about old times.
CJA Sarawak holds a special place in my heart, not only because of my close ties with its first chairman, the late Florence Yii, but also with its second chairman, Caroline Jackson, third chairman, Alice Wee, and current fourth chairman, Nancy Nais.
I was invited to join the association nearly 30 years ago by Florence, who worked for the Chinese newspaper ‘International Times’. I accepted the invitation and have been a CJA Sarawak member ever since.
I was much younger then and still working my way up the career ladder. Looking back, joining CJA Sarawak was one of the best decisions I made for my professional development.
A few years after I joined, Florence encouraged me to apply for a CJA scholarship to pursue a three-month journalism course in Cardiff, Wales. Applicants came from all over the world, and competition was stiff.
Initially, I hesitated to apply, but Florence continued to persuade me. Eventually, I submitted my application. I could hardly believe my ears when she told me that I had won the scholarship.
Florence had good connections with CJA branches in other parts of the world. Besides her encouragement, I believe those international connections also played a part in supporting my application.
I was fortunate that my newspaper, Sarawak Tribune, supported my decision to further my studies. It allowed me to take time off to pursue an Advanced Diploma in Print Journalism in Wales and agreed to continue paying my salary throughout the three-month course.
That salary was a great help to my family members, including my mother, nephews and nieces, who depended on me while I was away.
I flew from Kuala Lumpur to London before taking a bus to Cardiff. My coursemates came from various African and South American countries, and we stayed in hostels at Cardiff University, where rooms were available because students were away for their summer holidays.
We attended classes from Monday to Friday and walked from our hostels to the school near the city centre.
Having never studied overseas before, I found the short course an eye-opening experience. I worked hard because I did not want to disappoint Florence and everyone else who had made it possible for me to study in Cardiff.
While I was there, London was hit by a series of terrorist bombings on July 7, 2005. Four Islamist suicide bombers targeted the city’s public transport system, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds of others.
Before the attacks, my coursemates and I had planned to take a train to London to visit some of its attractions. Following the bombings, however, our lecturers made sure we travelled by bus instead. Another memorable CJA Sarawak experience came in 2012, when Caroline Jackson was chairman. I was among the executive committee members who travelled with her to Malta for the ninth Commonwealth Journalists Association Conference. I was the assistant secretary of CJA Sarawak at the time.
Although Malta is famous for its rich history, ancient architecture, golden limestone buildings and crystal-clear turquoise
waters, we did not have much time for sightseeing. Most of our time was spent at the hotel where the conference was held.
Before that, we were in London to visit the Malaysian envoy there. Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem, who was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs then, had arranged the visit for us.
So much has happened since those days, but CJA Sarawak will always remind me of my experiences in Cardiff and Malta.
Journalists join professional associations for various reasons, both professional and personal.
One important reason is to develop their professional skills through training programmes, workshops, seminars and conferences. Such activities provide opportunities to learn, keep abreast of developments in the industry and improve their knowledge.
Another reason is to build professional networks by establishing friendships, exchanging ideas and sharing experiences with fellow journalists from different media organisations.
Associations also provide a platform for journalists to contribute to the future of the profession by mentoring younger colleagues, promoting ethical reporting and strengthening the credibility of the media industry.
Ultimately, journalists join associations not merely to become members of an organisation, but to stand together, protect their profession, support one another and uphold the important role of journalism in society.
Ideally, journalists should join an association at the beginning of their careers so that they can benefit from professional guidance, networking opportunities and exposure to newsroom standards and ethics.
For CJA Sarawak members, the recent AGM was more than just an annual gathering. It was an opportunity to strengthen the profession, safeguard journalists’ interests and contribute to the future of the media industry.
There were no elections at the recent AGM as these are scheduled to take place next year.
As with any AGM, members discussed the association’s activities and programmes over the past year, while the chairman’s report and treasurer’s financial report were presented and reviewed.
Proposals for next year’s activities, including journalism workshops and training programmes, were also discussed. Possible collaborations with government agencies, media organisations and other professional bodies were explored.
The need to strengthen the association by attracting new members, particularly younger journalists, was also raised.
I must thank Nancy, the current chairman, for holding the AGM just before lunch on a Saturday.
Weekends are usually busy for senior editorial staff like yours truly. On a normal working day, we usually start at 2 pm and must finish before 9 pm.
In my younger days, I was involved in several organisations, including a Toastmasters club. These days, however, work takes up most of my time.Nevertheless, I hope next year will be another eventful one for CJA Sarawak, with more activities to bring members together and strengthen the association.
And who knows? Perhaps there will be another overseas trip somewhere. That would certainly be something to look forward to!
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
