KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — It was a triumphant night for Malay Mail as three of its journalists clinched prizes for Best Columnist and Best Investigative Report at the Malaysian Press Institute-Petronas Awards 2015 yesterday.
Malay Mail executive editor Haresh Deol was named best columnist for his weekly column Haresh Says while journalist S. Arulldas and Sayuti Zainudin were named winners for the best investigative report category.
Haresh took home RM5,000 in cash and a trophy after being named the joint winner for the award with New Straits Times group managing editor Datuk Abdul Jalil Abdul Hamid.
Arulldas and Sayuti took home RM10,000 in cash and a trophy for their reports on the discovery of a migrant slaves camp and graves on Malaysian soil.
“It’s an honour to win this award. Journalism is not just a job. It is about making changes through our work. I am humbled by the recognition from the Malaysian Press Institute and I hope to see more of my colleagues in Malay Mail win such recognition through their good work. This is a win for the team,” Haresh said.
Arulldas said: “I would like to thank the editorial team for their moral support and our editor emeritus, Frankie D’Cruz, for his guidance. It is a great honour to win this award as it is the highest form of recognition I could have ever dreamt of.”
Sayuti dedicated his win to his family and colleagues.
“I would like dedicate my win to my two-month-old daughter, Lily Sofia, and my wife, Sofia Mohd Nasir. I would also like to thank the whole editorial team as well as our editor emeritus, Frankie D’Cruz.”
Malay Mail editor-in-chief Datuk Wong Sai Wan said he was very proud of the team’s achievement.
“This is the second award for Haresh in recent months and he really deserves it. He is a dedicated reporter who believes in doing what is right,” he said.
“Arulldas and Sayuti risked life and limb to expose the existence of migrant camps on our soil. Their exposé represents real journalism and their stories are of international standards.”
Malay Mail editor emeritus Frankie D’Cruz also congratulated the trio for their win.
“Haresh’s versatility is inspirational. The awards he keeps picking up speak volumes for his journalistic enterprise that has held Malay Mail high,” he said.
“The legacy of Malay Mail investigative reporting has hit a new high. If I were in a battle, I would want Arulldass and Sayuti in the trench.”
Haresh’s winning entries were “Language is the soul of the people” which touches on how languages, especially the national language Bahasa Malaysia, have been taken for granted by many and “Thank you, Malaysia” where he featured a barber who will be returning to India after spending years earning a living in Malaysia.
The commentary highlights the fact the country relies heavily on foreign labour as Malaysians tend to shy away from the many opportunities available. As a result, it is the foreigners who appreciate the country and the opportunities available here instead of Malaysians
His third entry “Fix Pesaka” highlights how National Silat Federation (Pesaka) seems to have an identity crisis as it claims to be a sports body but had organised what was initially seen as a racially-charged gathering on Sept 16 last year. Haresh maintains sports is colour blind, free from politics and upholds the spirit of fair play and equality.
This is Haresh’s second MPI award, having won the 2013 Best News Report award. He has also won numerous awards, including the 2011 Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) Journalist of the Year and Best Special Report award, 2012 SAM Best Report award, and the 2014 SAM Best Commentary award. Last month, Haresh won the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia Norman Siebel Award (Journalist of the Year) and Best News Report award.
Arulldas and Sayuti’s exposé was centred around the discovery of mass graves which were allegedly linked to human trafficking syndicates. They investigated the existence of such camps on Malaysian soil, following similar discoveries in southern Thailand.
While Malaysian authorities denied such camps existed in Malaysia, our team was determined to reveal these camps were there. The duo probed further and on May 16 last year in their report “Migrant Prison Camp Uncovered”, Arulldas and Sayuti revealed how they discovered the existence of a secret slave camp in Wang Kelian, Perlis.
In the report, they highlighted the possibility of the existence of human graves in the area. The exposé shocked the authorities, including National Security Council chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, who wondered how the camp had existed, undetected by forest rangers.
On May 25 last year, in the report “Our exposé sparks search for mass graves”, a government source confirmed Malay Mail had prompted the authorities to the discovery of numerous burial sites near the Malaysia-Thai border. In another report the following day titled “Perlis killing fields”, police discovered 139 sites and 28 deserted people smuggling jungle camps in Perlis and vowed to track down those responsible for the atrocities.
Present at the awards ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak.
