KUALA LUMPUR, 21 April 2026 – Khazanah Nasional Berhad (“Khazanah”) today announced four Malaysian journalists as recipients of the 2026 Khazanah Wolfson Press Fellowship (“KNWPF”), an initiative under the Khazanah Residency Programme (“KRP”) that supports the development of Malaysian media professionals through global exposure, research and knowledge exchange.
The selected 2026 Khazanah Wolfson Press Fellows are 1) Iylia Marsya binti Iskandar, Specialist Writer at The New Straits Times 2) James Wong, Business Reporter at The Borneo Post 3) Muhammed Ahmad Hamdan, Editor at the Business Times, New Straits Times and 4) Zufazlin Baharuddin, Journalist, Economic News Service, BERNAMA. Each recipient will anchor their fellowship based on selected research topics.
Dato’ Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir, Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Berhad said, “In today’s information environment, journalists are frontline defenders against misinformation. This raises the bar for journalism. We congratulate the 2026 cohort and hope the experience will strengthen their work in promoting a more informed public discourse. Our growing Khazanah Wolfson Press alumnus are today an active community that continues to give back to their profession through knowledge-sharing and mentoring. We are proud to be part of this journey with the Malaysian press community.”
The Khazanah Wolfson Press Fellowship is a ten-week residency at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, UK which will run from 4th May 2026 to 10th July 2026. The programme provides a structured environment for fellows to step away from daily newsroom demands to pursue independent research, participate in seminars and discussions, and engage in a rigorous academic environment while building networks across international media and academic communities. The programme provides an opportunity to step back, reflect and strengthen one’s craft.
Selected through a competitive process involving proposal submissions and panel interviews, the 2026 cohort brings together emerging and experienced journalists, reflecting a deliberate mix that supports the development of new voices while strengthening depth within the media ecosystem. This also marks the first time the programme is sending four journalists in a single cohort.
The KNWPF is designed to support practising media professionals in developing research that is grounded in real-world challenges and relevant to the evolving demands of journalism. Beyond the residency, the programme emphasises continuous contribution. Fellows become part of the KRP alumni network and are expected to share their knowledge and experiences with the wider ecosystem through mentorship, industry engagement and public platforms such as KRP Tea Talks and university outreach, with the aim of extending the impact beyond the individual to the broader media and communications ecosystem.
Collectively, this year’s recipients will be pursuing research that is timely and relevant to the evolving media landscape and the future of journalism, covering areas such as analytical business reporting, financial literacy, humanitarian storytelling and cultural preservation.
Khazanah has partnered with Wolfson College, University of Cambridge for the programme since 2013, supporting 33 Malaysians to date, with 23 journalists and 10 corporate communication professionals. KRP alumni have brought greater depth and clarity to reporting and organisational communications, strengthening the quality of media reporting and communications practice in Malaysia.
KNWPF is a component of the KRP under Khazanah’s Advancing Malaysia strategy, which focuses on building capacity and vibrant communities for the benefit of Malaysians.
