#CAN19: Najmi and Marsya win the Syed Arabi Awards

By Ariani Mohd Nor

GOMBAK, 14 December 2019: The annual Communication Appreciation Night (CAN) 2019 was celebrated on Friday (13 December) by awarding exemplary students from the Communication fives for their excellence, hard work and dedication.

This year, Najmi Syahiran Mamat and Iylia Marsya Iskandar bagged the prestigious grand awards, the Prof. Dato’ Sri Dr. Syed Arabi Award.

Najmi won the overall award as a dedicated final year student (academic award), while Marsya, a second year student, was awarded for her excellence in news and feature writing for IIUMToday (journalism award).

In his speech after receiving the award from Prof. Syed Arabi himself, Najmi said that his lecturers and friends were the real motivators in his journey as a student in IIUM.

“I grew up in this university with IIUMToday,” he said, adding that “the society and everyone I have associated with in this university have made me the person I am today.”

Meanwhile, asked about her achievements, Marsya said that she did not expect to win this award. “I just wanted to write more, read more, and improve as an overall writer and journalist.”

Marsya also gave some writing advice to younger journalists and writers in general about accepting criticism. “We can’t be perfect all the time, writing exemplary news 24/7 and all that,” she said. “We have to be open to critics, show our curiosity, and look at other angles or perspectives once in a while to enrich ourselves.”

“I had people telling me I cannot get far in life with writing, but with passion to seek knowledge and executing these knowledge into actions, I believe that everyone can be our glorified true selves,” she added.

Both Najmi Mamat and Iylia Marsya have been outstanding board members of IIUMToday; Najmi since 2015, and appointed student managing editor for two years, and Marsya, a student journalist since 2018.

Earlier when officiating the dinner function, Head of the Department of Communication, Dr. Zeti Azreen Ahmad, in her remarks said that this event was “not just an annual event but has become a tradition for the Department to appreciate our students and to reflect on our achievements.”

She emphasised, “It is also an avenue to allow us to bid farewell to the graduating students, especially to acknowledge those who have shown hard work and dedication, and proven their excellence in our societies throughout the years.”

The distinguished Prof. Syed Arabi Award (academic) is the annual grand award conferred on Communication student who has achieved outstanding performance academically and actively involved in the programmes conducted by the Department. Prof. Syed Arabi is a senior professor in the Department of Communication who was also the former Rector of IIUM. He was the founder of IIUMToday.

Another grand award, the Prof. Saodah Award (academic), was bagged by final semester student, Nur Aifaa Khalidah from IIUM.fm.

Full list of CAN ’19 award winners as follows:

MAIN AWARDS

1. Prof. Syed Arabi Award – Muhammad Najmi Syahiran Bin Mamat
2. Prof. Saodah Award – Nur Aifaa Khalidah Binti Abdul Rahman

Best Dressed Award

1. Male – Prof. Dato’ Sri Dr. Syed Arabi (Lecturer); Ahmad Syakir Bin Ahmad Nizam (Student)
2. Female – Dr. Wan Norshira Binti Wan Ghazali (Lecturer); Sharifah Nur Fatimah Alhadi Binti Syed Md Nasser (Student)

IIUMToday Awards

1. Syed Arabi Award – Iylia Marsya Binti Iskandar
2. Dedicated Managing Editor Award – Siti Alya Nadiah Binti Ismail @ Ramli
3. Most Dedicated PR Award – Dayang Nuramizah Binti Awang Abdurrahman
4. Promising Journalist Award – Ainu Shafira Binti Rosli
5. Best News Journalist – Nor Ariani Wahida Binti Mohd Nor
6. Best Feature Journalist – Nur Aiman Najiha Binti Azman; Nurina Farzana Zahra Binti Shahfulnizam
   

IIUM.fm Awards

1. Best Radio Announcer Award- Atiqah Binti Mohd Asri
2. Best Producer Award – Muhammad Norul Hasyir Bin Hassan
3. Best Program Award – #DoneDakwah
4. Promising Junior Award – Alya Illani Binti Mohd Radzi
5. Rising Award – Nur Nisha Nabila Binti Misdon
6. Best Team Award – Public Relations Team

IPRMSA Awards

1. Promising Junior Award – Nur Adlina Binti Aminuddin
2. Leadership Excellence Award – Nor Farazuha Binti Aripin
3. Best Program Leader Award – Muhammad Helmy Bin Jasri (PR Fest 2019)
4. Outstanding Member Award – Muhammad Naqib Bin Othman
5. Best Team Player Award – Siti Nurzahra Binti Rusdi
6. Best Commitment Member Award – Hani Kartini Binti Marzuki
7. Best Community Engagement Award – Muhammad Amir Danial Bin Amir Rastam (Kelas Rakyat)

IIUMtv Awards

1. Best Crew Award – Wan Muhammad Shadiqin Bin Wan Halim
2. Best Host Award – Fatin Syasya Binti Ahmad Fooad
3. Best Producer Award – Amirah Atiqah Binti Adrein
4. Best Content Award – Inspirasi Luahan Insan
5. Most Viewed Program – Nightingale
6. Rising Star Award – Sarah Qistina Binti Mohd Nizam

COSA Awards

1. Best Programme Award – Communication Association Team Building
2. Best Programme Manager – ‘Aina Syifa Binti Zabidi
3. Most Outstanding Member – Nur Adlina Binti Abu Bakar
4. Most Inspiring Member – Nurul Afiena Aini Binti Sadri
5. Most Committed Member – Nur Aina Athirah Binti Mahyuddin
6. Leadership Award – Nurul Amira Binti Abd Manan

(List of winners was obtained from IIUM.fm, the organiser of CAN 2019)***