A new chief executive officer for the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) will be named soon, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo.

However, the Puchong MP declined to comment on rumours that the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) corporate affairs department head Nurini Kassim would be appointed to the post.

"An announcement will be made soon. When we have made the decision, we will make the announcement,” he told Bernama when met at the Selangor DAP convention in Petaling Jaya today.

The Malaysian Reserve had reported that Nurini would be appointed the new Bernama CEO.

It had also reported that Wan Hamidi Hamid, a veteran journalist and former editor-in-chief of The Rocket, was in line for the position, but news of his potential appointment received opposition from several quarters.

Wan Hamidi had publicly admitted that he was offered the position, but the final appointment did not materialise.

Bernama’s editor-in-chief Zakaria Abdul Wahab is currently the acting CEO after taking over from Zulkefli Salleh.

- Bernama