Time certainly flies as we turn two today!
Twentytwo13 was born on May 22, 2018 at 10.13pm or 22:13 in military time.
It’s been a challenging 24 months as the media industry has been hit hard by financial woes, made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic.
We have had several significant moments – from exclusive interviews to commentaries highlighting the concerns of the people.
Our highlights this year include an exclusive interview with Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah on the royal family’s time in self-quarantine, breaking the story on how Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang – the largest convention centre in the country – was turned into a Covid-19 hospital in just four days and a special report on pneumococcal vaccination for Malaysian children which eventually saw the government announcing that all children born this year will receive free vaccination.
Twentytwo13 is the only news website that provides a daily diary with a twist on the highlights of the day through the MCO Diaries since the Movement Control Order kicked in on March 18. We also produced a special video called We’ll Get Through This – dedicated to all Malaysians, including frontliners, who have given their all to battle this pandemic.
We also embarked on a new venture this year through our parent company Professional Storytellers. Joining forces with Toucan Media, we produce The RSS with HD – a weekly talk show on YouTube (The RSS) which is hosted by actor and comedian Rashid Salleh and Twentytwo13 editor Haresh Deol.
The first episode of The RSS with HD was aired on Feb 2 and the Sunday show has featured several guests, including former Formula One driver Alex Yoong, former National Sports Institute director-general Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz and mixed martial arts star Colleen Augustin. There is also an extended version of the show which is aired on YouTube at 4pm every Wednesday.
We believe in doing things unconventionally and organised a run called ‘Sila Lari, Jangan Duduk Fun Run’ in 2018 barely six months after our inception. The fun run saw the participation of nearly 1,000 people, including Olympic Council of Malaysia president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria, former national athlete Noraseela Khalid, prominent editor Datuk Ahirudin Attan (now National Press Club of Malaysia president) and representatives from AmBank and the FA of Malaysia.
Together with the Malaysian Mixed Martial Arts Association, we co-organised Fight For Change 2019. We raised RM31,000 from the event which was channelled to the National Press Club of Malaysia’s Journalist Welfare Fund. FFC 2019 was widely covered by our respected peers from other news establishments.
With an award-winning team of experienced editors and journalists, our insights and exclusive articles have been widely quoted by our peers in the industry locally and abroad. Our journalists are often invited to share their views on local and international television and radio stations.
As an independent news website that is free of political baggage, Twentytwo13 also provides in-depth analysis and commentaries regarding the political scene in the country with no holds barred.
Today is a celebration that our motley crew can and has made a difference. We are growing in content, numbers and visibility. Despite being the new kids on the block, we have secured tie-ups with public and private entities based in Malaysia and in the region.
Those who believe in our cause and in our reach continue to contribute to our news website. They include senior lawyer Datuk Seri Jahaberdeen Mohammed Yunoos, Bahas Bola managing editor Muhammad Yunus Zakariah, lawyer Hannah Kam, former Maritime Institute of Malaysia director-general Dr Pola Singh, veteran town planner Datuk P. Gunasilan, senior journalist Rita Jong, Washington-based Malaysian Jennifer Lee, entrepreneur Pipa Arbee and international school Global Oak Tree Scholars co-founder Veronica Shepherdson.
We thank you all for your support and we look forward to a new chapter. We would also like to invite more Malaysians to be part of our journey as we continue to put the people first.
Twentytwo13 is available on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (@twentytwo13news).
Stay safe, stay strong and continue reading Twentytwo13.
