KUALA LUMPUR — Big Boom Media, the parent company of Scoop, garnered three prestigious awards at the 2025 Public Relations Awards (MPRA) held at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral yesterday evening. The event celebrated the best in public relations across Malaysia, with Big Boom Media standing out in multiple categories.
In the Media category, Scoop claimed the Silver Award in the Op-Ed Writing Award – Online Media for its thought-provoking piece, “From Pandas to Traffic to Flag Pandemonium in One Hectic Week”, written by Executive Editor T. Vignesh.
The article explored the complexities surrounding Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Malaysia, from the signing of 31 MoUs to the chaotic road closures. The piece also delved into the controversy sparked by a flag mishap in Sin Chew Daily, where an AI-generated image featuring an inaccurate Malaysian flag alongside China’s flag caused a national uproar.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong condemned the error, leading to editor suspensions and police investigations. Vignesh’s insightful analysis reflected on the critical importance of national symbols and the lessons learned from past incidents.
In the Lifestyle Coverage Award – Online Media, Scoop bagged the Bronze Award for the electrifying “Otyken Electrifies Opening Night of RWMF 2025 with Ancient Sounds, Modern Fire”, written by News Editor A. Azim Idris.
The piece covered the opening night of the Rainforest World Music Festival 2025 (RWMF), where Siberian group Otyken mesmerised the crowd with their fusion of throat singing, tribal drums, and electronic beats. The performance, alongside other eclectic acts such as Gaga Gundul and Seffarine, reaffirmed RWMF’s reputation as a world-class festival blending cultural heritage with innovation.
The third award came in the Social Responsibility Award – Online Media category, where Scoop earned the Bronze Award for “Malaysia’s Protest Culture ‘More Trend Than Conviction’: Rights Lawyer”, authored by reporter Sandru Narayanan.
This article featured an insightful discussion with human rights lawyer Michelle Yesudas, who critiqued Malaysia’s protest culture as being largely performative, lacking the strategic foundations seen in youth movements like those in Thailand. Yesudas highlighted the linguistic fragmentation in Malaysia as a barrier to unifying the country’s protest efforts and called for greater investment in civic education and activism.
Also present at the event were Big Boom Media Group Executive Director, Datuk Ahirudin Attan (better known as Rocky Bru) and Group Editor-in-Chief, Terence Fernandez.
Big Boom Media’s continued success
The 2025 MPRA marked another milestone for Big Boom Media, following its success in 2024, when the company won five awards across various categories. In total, the MPRA 2025 saw 104 entries, with 42 gold, 35 silver, and 32 bronze awards presented across 28 categories, recognising excellence in public relations and communication.
The Public Relations and Communications Association of Malaysia (PRCA) President, Prof Mohd Said Bani Din, delivered the event’s opening speech, emphasising the theme of the year, “CONNECTION: The Heart of Communication.”
He highlighted how, despite the growing influence of AI and digital platforms, the core values of empathy, intuition, and integrity in communication remain irreplaceable.
“Technology informs; humanity transforms,” he said, underscoring the importance of human connection in today’s ever-evolving media landscape.
Celebrating young talent
In addition to recognising the achievements of industry veterans, the 2025 MPRA introduced a new category — the Student’s Persuasive Pen Prize, celebrating emerging communicators. The gold award in this category was presented to Adlyn Daniea Mohammad Hazli from Taylor’s University for her piece,
“If AI Can Write Our Stories, What’s Left For Us To Tell?” The silver award went to Avi Tang from UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College, while the bronze was awarded to Sheldon Kong Qi Dong from Xiamen University Malaysia.
Big Boom Media’s success at the 2025 MPRA is a testament to its continued commitment to excellence in journalism, from hard-hitting op-eds to engaging lifestyle coverage and thought-provoking social responsibility content. – November 29, 2025