Nur-ul Afida appointed as Bernama’s new CEO

Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin (left) and Arul Rajoo Durar Raj.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) has announced the appointments of Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin as its new chief executive officer and Arul Rajoo Durar Raj as editor-in-chief, effective yesterday.

Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai announced the appointments in a statement yesterday.

Wong said Nur-ul Afida and Arul Rajoo’s appointments were finalised at the Bernama board of governors’ meeting at Wisma Bernama yesterday and other appointments to fill the vacancies in the agency would be decided by the management later.

On Oct 24 last year, Nur-ul Afida, 57, created history as the first woman ever appointed as the agency’s editor-in-chief since its establishment in 1967.

Nur-ul Afida, who has also been performing the duties of the chief executive, officially takes over the post from Jamaluddin Muhammad who went on compulsory retirement last December.

Nur-ul Afida has extensive experience in journalism and has held several important positions at Bernama, including head of strategic planning and deputy editor-in-chief of news services.

The daughter of a veteran journalist, the late A.R. Kamaludin, she began her career as a reporter at Harian Nasional and joined Bernama in January 1985 as a cadet reporter.

Throughout her 39 years at the agency, she also held various roles within different departments and units, including the general news desk, Malay sub-editor’s desk, photo unit, features and strategic writing desk, besides contributing as a trainer at the Bernama School of Journalism since 2009.

Nur-ul Afida received her early education at Bukit Bintang Girls’ School and continued her studies for Form Six at Hasni Institute in 1986.

She pursued her tertiary education while working in Bernama and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Universiti Teknologi Mara in 1993 and completed her Master’s degree in Communication Management from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2011.

Meanwhile, Arul Rajoo, 55, joined Bernama in 1991 as a cadet news reporter and has been with the agency for 32 years.

The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) graduate from the Universiti Malaya previously held the position of deputy editor-in-chief of news services.

Arul Rajoo began his career in Bernama at the sports desk, covering various sports events at national and international levels, including the Olympics, Asian Games, Formula One races, SEA Games, Thomas Cup and World Athletics Championships, before tanking on the role of bureau chief for Bernama Perak in 2001 and as Bernama correspondent in Thailand in 2005.

In 2010, he became the editor at Bernama’s news service and in 2011, assignment editor of Bernama TV. — Bernama