KUALA LUMPUR: Media Prima Bhd has announced the appointment of Jasbant Singh and Farrah Naz Abd Karim as its Group Managing Editor and Deputy Group Managing Editor of news.
Their appointments took effect on Nov 1, Media Prima said in a statement.
This follows the retirement of New Straits Times Press Berhad's (NSTP) Group Managing Editor, Datuk Ahmad Zaini Kamaruzzaman, after 33 years of service.
Jasbant and Farrah Naz's appointments also signal the integration of Media Prima Television Networks (MPTN) and NSTP under the Media Prima News and Current Affairs Division.
This integration of news operations aims to enhance operational efficiencies and create greater synergies to strengthen Media Prima's position as the country's leading news provider.
Jasbant has over 30 years of experience in print, television, and online journalism, having served in both local and international media organisations.
He began his career at Bernama, later joining TV3 as a reporter, and eventually rising to become the station's Deputy News and Current Affairs Manager.
Jasbant also had stints with the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, where he covered major local and international stories, including the terror threat in Southeast Asia after the 9/11 attacks.
He also served as Free Malaysia Today's (FMT) Managing Editor for three years.
For the past two years, Jasbant has been leading MPTN's news operations, which cover TV3, Channel 9, Channel 8, and DidikTV.
Farrah Naz, meanwhile, has held various roles in NSTP since 2000, including Group Executive Editor, Putrajaya Bureau Chief, Associate Editor (News and Current Affairs), and Executive Editor (Commercial and Integration).
She was also an Executive Producer for Current Affairs Programmes at MPTN.
Throughout her career, Farrah Naz has won numerous awards, including back-to-back wins of the prestigious Malaysian Press Institute's (MPI) Kajai Award in 2014 and 2015.
She has also won other MPI accolades, including Best News Reporting, Best Investigative Journalist, Best Columnist, and Best News Report, between 2015 and 2018.
Farrah Naz, who was recently appointed as an Adjunct Professor by Universiti Teknologi MARA's (UiTM) Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, has also won international awards.
They include the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award in the Breaking News category and the World Association of Newspaper and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) award for Best Newspaper Feature Article.
Aside from her current role at Media Prima, Farrah Naz also serves as the Deputy President of MPI and Vice-President of the National Press Club.
"Jasbant and Farrah Naz's extensive backgrounds in journalism are invaluable assets to Media Prima as we continue to strengthen our digital, print, and broadcast media outlets," said the group.
"We would also like to thank Ahmad Zaini for his many contributions throughout his tenure with us."
Meanwhile, NST executive editor Sharanjit Singh Tara Singh has been promoted to Deputy Group Editor of the NST.
He began his career as a rookie journalist with the paper in 1996, and has since traversed through various roles within NST including bureau chief positions in Kedah, Malacca, Penang, Regional Editor for the Northern region, as well as Senior News Editor before becoming Executive Editor at the publication.
Sharanjit is a recipient of the esteemed Malaysia Press Institute (MPI) Best Investigative Journalist Award and has been an integral part of NST's journey, covering a myriad of global events.