ALUMNI and lecturers from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's (UKM) Centre for Research in Media and Communication (Mention) gathered at the Dewan Perdana of the Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty to mark its Golden Jubilee.
The event reflected half a century spent training the media leaders who have defined Malaysia's communication landscape since Mention was established in 1975, formerly known as Jabatan Perhubungan.
Mention chairperson Arina Anis Azlan said in her opening speech that as they celebrate 50 years of past achievements, Mention steps forward guided by relevance, impactful research and staying connected.
"These translate to courage in facing digital communications and artificial intelligence, creating knowledge that transforms communities and walking hand-in-hand with alumni and industry partners to ensure the employability of our graduates.
"To translate this vision, we are also holding a three-in-one launch: the Mention 50 Years celebration (the golden jubilee), the publication of the Mention Alumni book, and the establishment of the Mention Golden Jubilee Fund.
"This fund is established for the welfare, sponsorship and well-being of our students and staff for the future," she said, adding that she targets RM 50,000 in contributions.
UKM deputy vice-chancellor (student affairs and alumni) Assoc Prof Roslee Rajikan hopes Mention continues to lead in strategic communication, media literacy, artificial intelligence, and digital communication.
"UKM's Social Sciences and Management subject area is ranked 146th globally in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.
"Meanwhile, Communication and Media Studies maintains its strong performance, ranking within the 151–200 bracket globally in the Communication and Media Studies programme
"This achievement proves that the strength of a world-class university lies not only in science and technology but also in the strength of social sciences and humanities disciplines," he said in his opening speech.
Some of the distinguished alumni who attended the event include Star Media Group Bhd group chief content officer Datin Paduka Eather Ng, Bernama chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, Mention Prof Emeritus Samsudin A Rahim, former rural development minister Datuk Seri Panglima Jahid Jahim, former deputy director (digital content) of the Information Department Hashim Bedu, Media Prima Bhd news and current affairs unit chief editor Pang Chinn Fei and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) senior director of special operations Datuk Karunanithy Y. Subbiah.
(From left) Golden Jubilee Event director Assoc Prof Shahrul Nazmi Sannusi, UKM Alumni Relations Centre director Roslan Jaafar, Jabatan Perhubungan founder and director Prof Datuk Seri Syed Arabi Idid, UKM pro-vice-chancellor (strategy & sustainability) Prof Datuk Roslee Rajikan, Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty dean Prof Kadarudin Aiyub, Mention chairperson Arina Anis Azlan, and the first graduate of Jabatan Perhubungan Asiah Sarji cutting the cake during the Mention Golden Jubilee.
From left: Mention graduates of 2012 Amirah Abdul Raffar, Siti Fatimah Ishak, Farah Nadia Mohd Arsad and Noormazla Mohamad Nizan pose for a wefie during the celebration.
UKM pro-vice-chancellor (strategy & sustainability) Prof Datuk Roslee Rajikan delivering his opening speech at the event.
Alumni enjoying refreshments after the launch of the Mention Golden Jubilee celebration.
