KUALA LUMPUR: theSun photographer Mohd Amirul Syafiq Mohd Din was all smiles when he was announced as one of two recipients for the consolation prize in the Excellent Photojounalism category at the MPI-Petronas awards ceremony at Berjaya Times Square Hotel on Friday.
Mohd Amirul received RM1,000 and a certificate for his photo titled “Mammoth offering”, a stunning shot of a temple worker in Ampang lighting a giant joss stick for the Nine Emperor Gods Festival last year.
“I was surprised because I did not follow up after submitting my entry. I never thought it will be shortlisted. It is ‘rezeki’ that it got chosen,“ he said.
The MPI-Petronas awards ceremony was attended by Education Minister Maszlee Malik. In his speech, he said the ministry will be offering scholarships to journalists planning to pursue their studies in local public universities.
In addition, he said international television station Al-Jazeera, based in Doha, has agreed to collaborate with the ministry to provide training and internship to media students from Universiti Teknologi Mara and the International Islamic University Malaysia.
At the event, former Media Prima Berhad chairman Tan Sri Johan Jaafar received the 12th National Journalist Award. He received RM30,000, a trophy and a certificate.
