CYBERJAYA: The National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJ) today launched a fund aimed at helping reskill retrenched journalists to equip them with digital skills and increase their employability in the new media scene.
Money raised through the NUJ Re-Skilling Fund will be used to cushion the cost of a series of training workshops in collaboration with selected partners, for journalists who had lost their jobs due to cost-cutting exercises or voluntary separation schemes (VSS).
NUJ general-secretary Chin Sung Chew said a total of 400 journalists had lost their jobs in the past two years.
"With this spate of retrenchments, our membership has also shrunk from about 1,000 previously to only about 500 now.
"Our main goal is to give value to journalists we administer and protect, specifically on journalists' education, ethics and good conduct, safe working environment, rights of workers, press freedom issues, as well as leadership training.
"It is our obligation, as the sole national body looking after their professional rights and welfare. to proactively help them," he said in a statement.
Chin said the union aimed to raise at least RM100,000 to be used for the training workshops.
"The amount would be to fund the reskilling workshops so these experienced and older journalists can learn the necessary skills to gain employment in digital media landscape.
"We call on those concerned about the journalism profession to wholeheartedly contribute to this fund so we can help more journalists. Other sponsors are also welcomed," he added.
The fund was launched under the "Help Journos Re-Skill, Enjoy Pop Meals" campaign, in collaboration with Pop Meals.
Making the first move, the quick-service food brand had pledged the first contribution to the fund with total amount of RM15,000 in cash and kind.
Pop Meal general manager Shaik Ali Fikri Bajunid said the food brand had decided to contribute cash and cash vouchers, the latter of which would be used as tokens of appreciation for donors.
"We understand that NUJ has been the umbrella body for the profession for 60 years now. They have been actively safeguarding the rights and welfare of members through ethics and professional journalism courses, union organisation, industrial relations and legal support.
"(This) is why we are more than happy to contribute over RM5,000 cash and 1,000 cash vouchers of RM10 each in the form of unique promo codes for NUJ to distribute to its members and donors to the fund," he said.
NUJ president Farah Marshita Abdul Patah and Chin received the pledge from Shaik Ali at the Pop Meals outlet at D'Pulze Mall, here, earlier today.
Those who wish to donate to the fund may do so through bank transfer to National Union of Journalists Malaya Public Bank Bhd Account No. 3077428903, stating that it is for the NUJ Re-Skilling Fund.
Donors will be given tokens of appreciation in the form of Pop Meals cash vouchers, subject to availability, by sending their bank transfer slips to +6016-3136793 (WhatsApp).
NUJ members are from eight mainstream newspapers namely the New Straits Times, Berita Harian, Harian Metro, The Star, Nanyang Daily, Sin Chew Daily, Kwong Wah Yit Poh and The Sun.