TWENTY-somethings Ahmad Asri Badrun, Nur Hayatun Nisa Muhamed Khir and Intan Syazwina Suhaimi are the latest "star trio" of TV9's prime time news programme Berita TV9.
Viewers love them because they deliver daily news crisp and clear, never forget to smile and thoroughly research every topic which they present in the hour-long programme.
But best of all, the trio who have been with the TV station for three years are versatile.
MAJALAH TIGA
Nisa, 29, can sing, paint and model, while Asri, 28, produces for TV3 documentary series 'Majalah Tiga' as well as its morning talk show 'Malaysia Hari Ini' (MHI).
Intan, 27, doubles as the publicist of the National Art Gallery in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, and juggling two demanding jobs at the time has earned her praise and admiration from viewers.
The trio aim high in life, and are working hard to become hosts or co-hosts of their very own talk shows and documentaries. Asri, Nisa and Intan would also love to become full-fledged television producers someday.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Asri, who hails from Masjid Tanah, Melaka has been working for Media Prima Television Networks for three years.
The mass communications graduate from Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor in Kajang, Selangor is the youngest of three siblings and was active in public speaking during his schooldays.
BIGGEST FANS
"I studied in a religious school, and spent a year teaching Arabic after completing secondary school. My parents wanted me to become a religious lecturer, but I turned out to be more passionate about journalism," said Asri in a recent interview at Seri Pentas, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.
The youngest of three siblings received the green light from his parents, and they are his biggest fans today.
"The reason why I was attracted to journalism is because I love public-speaking and storytelling. I love gathering knowledge and lap up current affairs," he said, adding that he joined Berita TV9 in 2022.
DATUK MAHADZIR LOKMAN
Asri's role models in broadcast journalism are the late Datuk Mahadzir Lokman, the late Raymond Goh, Wan Zaleha Radzi and Zahir Kelvin Ong Abdullah.
He describes them as TV3's broadcast legends.
PESTA BENAK
Asri's favourite assignment as a broadcast journalist has been covering the annual tidal bore festival Pesta Benak in Sri Aman, Sarawak, and encountering crocodiles in the Batang Lupar River there.
"I love visiting East Malaysia as it is rich in culture and nature. If I were to host my very own programme, it would be one on wildlife," said Asri, adding that he acquired a keen interest in environmental journalism watching the late Australian conservationist Steve Irwin in his 'Crocodile Hunter' documentary series.
I CAN SEE YOUR VOICE
Nisa, who has served Media Prima for three years, has also been a model for advertisements and a singer, who famously participated in 'I Can See Your Voice Malaysia' in 2021, where she sang Shila Amzah's hit 'Tiada Dirimu'.
"I first pursued a Fashion Design diploma at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Seri Iskandar, Perak before doing a Mass Communications degree in UiTM Shah Alam from 2017 to 2019," she said.
Nisa, whose family hails from Brunei and Jelebu in Negri Sembilan, has always dreamed of becoming a newscaster and looks up to Wan Zaleha and Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi.
"As a kid, I loved reading and when my parents introduced me to the newspaper, I learnt to read it from front to back," she said.
ASTRO AWANI
Nisa served as an intern with Astro Awani for a year, but eventually joined TV9.
"It is never easy being a newscaster. I must have all the facts in my head and pronounce every word correctly and with proper intonation," said Nisa, whose ambition is to host programmes about the arts, business and information technology.
"I still love singing, and if my television station comes up with special songs for campaigns and celebrations, I am always ready and willing to perform them."
ART GALLERY
Intan, from Machang, Kelantan has four years''experience in Media Prima.
She graduated in Mass Communications from UiTM in 2020 and subsequently started work in TV9.
"I did my internship in TV9, first as an assistant producer and later a broadcast journalist," she said.
RADIO TELEVISYEN MALAYSIA
The youngest of four siblings, Intan is the second journalist in her family as her elder sister works for Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).
"Becoming a journalist has always been my dream, and my parents and elder sister have always supported me," she said.
LIFE-SAVING
Intan has learnt to divide her time between two jobs. It was a little tricky, but she has got the hang of it.
"The most useful skill I learnt as a broadcast journalist was life-saving skills, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and using the automated external defibrillator (AED).
"I get a little scared whenever a person suddenly collapses, but having these skills means I can save lives."
ABSORB KNOWLEDGE
Intan loves hosting women's talk shows and information technology journalism.
"Being a broadcast journalist is a great way to absorb knowledge and grow as a person," said Intan.
LONG HOURS
She also said that being a newscaster required long hours in the office and constant practice — tiring but fun.
"The most important thing one should have in his or her job is a burning passion for it, only then will he or she excel."
