Mkini journo bags Best Investigative Reporting prize at Malaysia Journalism Awards 2025

Malaysiakini journalist B Nantha Kumar bagged the Best Investigative Reporting award at the MPI-Petronas Malaysia Journalism Awards 2025 last night.

Nantha’s (above) win was through an entry titled “Phantom Travels: Satu Lagi Sindiket Di KLIA,” which exposed a new syndicate at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) involving civil servants travelling abroad without immigration records.

READ MORE: 'Phantom travels': Another syndicate plaguing KLIA

The syndicate was in addition to the alleged “counter setting” scams, “fly” syndicates, and wildlife smuggling plaguing the airport.

In June last year, Malaysiakini won the third prize in the Best Investigative Reporting category through a series of extensive investigations by Nantha on migrant workers trafficking syndicates.

READ MORE: Mkini wins big at Malaysia Journalism Awards 2024

His entry at the time, titled “Sindiket Warga Asing ‘Ikan Besar’ Masih Bebas,” featured articles that exposed a counter-setting syndicate involving Immigration Department officers, who had allegedly abused Malaysia’s medical visa to smuggle foreign workers.

For last night’s event, Malaysiakini deputy news editor Koh Jun Lin’s entry titled “Investigation: Network Of 263 ‘Cybertroopers’ Spurs Anwar’s FB Support” was also shortlisted for an award under the same category.

The series investigated the existence of a 263-account network engaged in a coordinated campaign to artificially boost support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on his official Facebook page.

READ MORE: Investigation: Network of 263 'cybertroopers' spurs Anwar's FB support

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The initial article featured additional reporting from Nantha and Qistina Nadia Dzulqarnain.

Journalism values, ethics

Malaysiakini also took second place under the Best Multimedia category via Kini News Lab’s interactive piece on the environmental and social impacts of data centres.

Former Kini News Lab editor Aidila Razak, Kini News Lab illustrator Amin Landak, and journalist Ashley Yeong Hui Jin were awarded the recognition during the ceremony, which Anwar also attended.

In his address, the premier reportedly stressed that as artificial intelligence (AI) alters the media landscape, journalism must remain firmly rooted in strong values and ethics.

The prime minister said that while AI is becoming increasingly accessible and offers vast opportunities to improve capabilities across industries, its development and use must be guided by integrity and strong moral principles.

According to The Star, he also cautioned against the misuse of AI to promote ideologies or manipulate information without restraint, emphasising the need for responsible governance as the technology continues to evolve.

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