KUCHING, May 27 – Veteran journalist James Alexander Ritchie, better known as James Ritchie, was awarded the National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2024 Award at the highlight event of the celebration held on Monday.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim presented the award to James, 74, who has dedicated over five decades to journalism since 1971.
Starting as a cadet journalist at the Straits Times in the federal capital at the age of 23, James slowly climbed the career ladder in the journalism industry, particularly in Sarawak. Among the positions he has held are Sarawak New Straits Times journalist in 1981, Public Relations Officer at the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Department (1998), and Media Consultant for Sarawak Digest (2022).
Other positions include special writer at Sarawak Tribune in 2022, Editorial Advisor and Executive Director at Eastern Times (2006), and Executive Director at New Sarawak Tribune (2010).
His significant contributions to writing and journalism have earned him much recognition, including the Shell Kenyalang Gold Award, AZAM Press Award, and Ang Lai Soon Gold Award.
The Prime Minister also presented another HAWANA 2024 Award to the Kuching Division Journalists Association (KDJA), which was received by its president, Ronnie Teo, as a token of appreciation for the association.
The HAWANA Awards aims to recognise and honour professional journalists, individuals, or organisations that have made significant contributions not only in journalism but also in shaping the minds of the public through their works.
The inaugural HAWANA Award was posthumously awarded to the Father of Independence and Father of Malaysia, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj in 2018, who was Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, followed by the Karangkraf Group (2022) and Datuk Lat, whose real name is Datuk Mohd Nor Khalid (2023).
At today’s ceremony, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg also presented the Sarawak Premier’s Appreciation Awards in conjunction with HAWANA 2024 to seven recipients, including Star Media Group photographer Zulazhar Sheblee, former RTM Sarawak Chief Reporter Alice Wee Siok Lian, New Sarawak Tribune Associate Editor M. Rajah, and Malay Mail Senior Journalist Sulok Tawie.
The other recipients were former Utusan Sarawak Executive Editor Willian Cornelius Chan Khun Neng, former Chinese Daily News General Manager Johnny Loh Kee Kong and Utusan Sarawak Executive Editorial Advisor Kadir Dikoh.
The three-day HAWANA 2024 celebration themed “Etika Teras Kewartawanan Mapan”, which began on Saturday, is being attended by approximately 1,000 guests comprising local and international media practitioners.
May 29 has been gazetted as National Journalists’ Day in conjunction with the publication of the first edition of Utusan Melayu on May 29, 1939, aimed at celebrating the contributions of media practitioners.
