Wins prove why Express matters
Published on: Sunday, August 07, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Daily Express (DE) and Overseas Chinese Daily News (OCDN) bagged 13 prizes – including six golds – at the 24th Kinabalu Shell Press Awards on Friday night. In so doing, both these papers demonstrated yet again why they continue to be the most relevant and cannot-do-without newspapers in Sabah.Two of the Golds for Daily Express were for the coveted Journalism and Reporting categories, repeating the feat that it achieved last year.
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Chief Editor James Sarda won the main journalism award under the English category with his eight-part series entitled "Nations In Transition". It beat off a strong challenge from the New Straits Times which settled for two separate merit awards for this category.James also won a Merit for Best Environmental reporting for a piece titled "Amazing Mike" about Mike Bernadus, dubbed "Professor Mike", who is the only person in Sabah most knowledgeable on the various rainforest plant species and who leading scientists and researchers carrying out work in Danum Valley depend on. What is little known is that Mike, who is helping the Danum Valley Field Centre to establish its botanical database, is actually a Timorese still relying on a work permit. He was specially trained by late world renowned environmentalist Dr Clive Marsh back in the late 1980s. The Daily Express reporting team also won Gold for News Reporting under the English category with its series of reports on the Sabah Quake. The team comprised Jason Santos, Clarence G. Dol, Hayati Dzulkifli, Tracy Patrick, Mary Chin, Neil Chan, David Thien, Sherell Ann Jeffery, Joan George Mool, Cynthia D. Baga, Christopher Bernard Maskilone, Rayner Majantim, Larissa Lumandan, S. Shamala and Rachel Basnayake.Tracy Patrick from the Daily Express also won the merit award for her article entitled "All is not well on Mt Kinabalu" together with a New Straits Times team on their news coverage of the earthquake in Kundasang, Ranau under the same category.
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Daily Express contributor, Lorena Binisol, also made the newspaper proud when she won for the first time the main journalism award in the Stringers' category for her report titled "Homestays With Traditional Touch" followed by another Daily Express stringer Oswald Supi who won a merit for his report "Paddy Growing May Soon Become A Memory".Daily Express Special Writers Mary Chin and Kan Yau Cheong won merits for their reports "Taking Sector to the next level" and "U1st and the Power of Now Business Secret to Record Profit" respectively for Business and Economic Reporting under the English language category.
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OCDN Chief Reporter Bong Tze Phin won gold in the main journalist award under the Chinese language category with his article entitled 'Sabah Earthquake A Wake-Up Call for All To Be Prepared' while Chung Yeh Nie from See Hua Daily News won merit for the same category.For Business & Economic Reporting Award, Bong swept the gold in the Chinese language category for his article "100,000 Well-Paid Jobs In Sabah Awaiting Qualified Applicants" while See Hua Daily News and Sin Chew Daily won merits.OCDN's Gravin Wong Chian Kyun took the main award for Sports Journalism under the Chinese language for her report "Kiulu/Ruhiang Adventure Challenge Promoting Eco-Sport Tourism in Kiulu" while See Hua Daily News won merit.Gravin also won merit in the Entertainment Reporting category for "Ola Bola Film Shooting in Beaufort – Tenom Railway: A Boon For Sabah's Tourism".Harian Ekspress Editor Petrus Valentinus won merit for his "Sawah Adalah Dunianya" under the Bahasa category. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, who graced the event, said the Government would continue to work together with stakeholders, including the media, in transforming Sabah and the country's economic development."The media, both mainstream and social, play a vital role. Your reporting serves as a contributing factor in encouraging potential investors to place their confidence in our State. "Journalism also ensures that the public's interest remains in good hands, for example when certain issues are deliberated on via the media or brought to the attention of the Government."He said journalists have a significant role to play in society and the public relies on them for true and accurate reporting, and where journalists' reports should be based on solid facts and not pure speculations. At a time when information, albeit true or false, is available at the press of a finger, the media now has more responsibility to ensure their reports are accurate, he added.Musa said he was happy that the media in the State was responsible in highlighting news that was significant and important by writing on development, socio economic development and reporting on the needs and complaints of the people.On behalf of the State Government, Musa also commended Shell Malaysia Chairman Datuk Iain Lo and his team at Shell Malaysia for their support and leading role as the strategic partner in this tripartite programme, which acknowledges and rewards top performance and excellence in journalism, adding that he believes the Kinabalu Shell Press Awards is truly a great platform for all members to work together and grow.Musa said in the vital sector of oil and gas, the government continues to work with operators and partners to consistently build value and economic development via their operations and investments in this State. Shell remains a key contributing oil and gas operator to the country's economic progress through its deepwater operations.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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