GEORGE TOWN: It has been a hard journey for three employees of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) when they received their Master’s degree scrolls at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)’s 57th
convocation ceremony.
It was a well-deserved culmination of four years of continuous balancing act for recently-retired deputy editor-in-chief (economic news service) Datin Rohana Mustafa, 60; deputy chief sub-editor (English) Nor Hasliza Abdullah, 44; and sub-editor and translator for strategic writing Rafeáton Md Ali, 48, when they received their Masters of Arts in Translation Studies degree from USM pro-chancellor Tan Sri Dr Jegathesan Manikavasagam.
Rafeáton described her years of sacrifices to complete her studies were huge as she had to juggle between work and family.
“Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah) for the passion, commitment, and support of family, friends, and my superiors, I have successfully overcome adversity and hardships,” she said when met after the convocation
ceremony.
Serving Bernama for the past 23 years, she admitted that despite having a job and a fixed salary, no one should be complacent. She said she needs to be up-to-date and to constantly improve in line with the changes towards digital journalism.
“I think the implementation of the Bernama convergence is timely. It is in line with Bernama’s mission and vision that every employee must be able to
multitask and be versatile.
“This means they can perform not only at the editorial unit but also at the Bernama News Channel, Bernama Radio or any other places,” said Rafaeton who can converse in Mandarin.
Meanwhile, Nor Hasliza said her desire to pursue her studies began in her early 30s but she had to postpone it after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.
“At 32, I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and had to focus on winning the battle. Thankfully, I was finally given a clean bill of health,” she said.
Describing the journey as full of ups and downs, Nor Hasliza said the support of those around her made everything easier and she is now contemplating pursuing her doctorate degree.
“I have to juggle between being a wife, a mother, a daughter, a ‘nurse’ to ailing parents, a Bernama sub-editor, a translator, and a student. It was indeed a very difficult journey, especially after my mother, who was suffering from cancer, died last year,” said Nor Hasliza, holding back her tears.
As for Rohana, she was of the view that scheduling was very important to keep things going as she needed to juggle her time between work, family, and her studies.
Adhering to the principle of lifetime pursuit of knowledge, she said she did not hesitate to join the Master’s degree programme after receiving an offer from USM when she was in her 50s.
“While serving the editing desk, I gained experience in translation. So when I received an offer from USM, I thought I was interested in the subject and I should be in the programme. Coincidentally, the campus was nearby and the time was right, so I decided to continue my studies,” she said.
Rohana also advised Bernama employees to seize the opportunity if they were offered to pursue higher education from any
institution of higher learning, even though the programme offered was outside of their field of expertise. – Bernama
