Ravindran Raman Kutty is a social engineer who believes in change. Change should start from within. Whether it’s nature, environment, politics, economics or community.
He is the General Manager of Strategic Communications with MRCBGK. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia and an accredited Public Relations Practitioner.
After a long hiatus, I am inspired to write about a public relations forum I attended recently. Themed ‘PR Legacy’, it was organised by the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia (IPRM) and hosted by Microsoft to commemorate the institute’s 55th anniversary.
The session started with a historic presentation of the past presidents and their roles in bringing IPRM to where it is now. As pointed out by IPRM president, Datuk Ibrahim Abdul Rahman, the profession’s excellence in terms of practices and standards is due to the rich legacy left behind by the founding fathers and leaders of the public relations sector.
Globally, the PR industry is evolving from publicity-oriented practices to one displaying varying degrees of professionalisation and sophistication.
It is unfortunate that in the United States, PR has taken a back seat under the tenure of its current president Donald Trump.
China is now beaming and blooming and over there, PR is certainly taking the right step forward. The Middle East is also focusing greatly on PR as it moves away from its traditional supremacy over oil to other service sectors.
Malaysia has always been an active player, though some politicians may differ in their approach. The forum was timely as it discussed and recognised the contributions being made by various individuals in Malaysia.
The history of IPRM, meticulously researched and documented by IPRM past president Prof Datuk Wira Dr Syed Arabi Idid, showcased the unprecedented contributions made to the constantly growing, expanding and changing face of the practice.
The PR forum is among the numerous building blocks we have seen over the past six decades that have offered lifelong learning for a comprehensive body of knowledge of the profession and practice.
The session on PR Education touched on Professional Values and Ethics and the importance of accreditations. Who are the teachers of Public Relations? Would it be good to have a mix of PR practitioners and academics to teach the subjects? The discussion also touched on how to prepare for the fourth industrial revolution that is beginning to sweep the world today.
The session on PR Issues and Crisis Management was interesting with four PR practitioners pondering over the readiness of PR practitioners to handle and manage a crisis.
I had the honour of moderating this particular session. Dr Bhavani from Gamuda touched on the perils of managing a mega project in the city and spoke about the importance of stakeholder management.
Prof Abdul Hamid, a lecturer and former head of TV3’s commercial division, asked a very pertinent question as to whether all companies and institutions conducted crisis management drills.
Jaffri Amin, a PR consultant, provided a humorous definition using the letters of the word SATAN – Say Something, Always repeat it, Together, make it Awesome with visuals and Natural.
Hardip Singh, a PR lecturer, touched on compassionate communications between patients and doctors in the health industry and how this can resolve crises in the industry.
The forum’s final session was on PR & World Stage, Fourth Industrial Revolution, and one of the presenters, Jasmine Begum of Microsoft, gave a wonderful presentation on the digital transformation in the coming industrial revolution 4.0, where we have moved from steam, water, mechanical in 1784; labour, electricity and mass production (1870); electronics and IT automated production (1969) to blurring the physical and digital divide in 2016. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is made of autonomous vehicles, robotics, 3D printing, genomic diagnostics, treatment engineering, the internet of things, blockchain and disruptive business models.
Jasmine also touched on baby boomers of Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z, and how Generation Alpha communicates today, as well as the importance of digital PR over traditional PR.
The forum also included a lively session with Deputy Education Minister Datuk P Kamalanathan. I was awed by his simplicity and humility in addressing the audience.
As a former IPRM secretary, Kamalanathan nostalgically narrated his wonderful experience working with the council and how much he had benefited from all the years of serving the council.
He was quick to point out that PR was his first love and how he first met his wife during the PR classes conducted by IPRM.
The interesting forum not only brought the industry legends together but also the many new players within its arena. Besides the intellectual exchange of experiences, we also had a wonderful time catching up with PR practitioners. An evening well spent.
Accolades to Datuk Wira Dr Syed Idid, Dr Kiranjit and Dr Shameem for a job well done and not forgetting the host and sponsor for their graciousness in conducting the event.
Public relations is the cornerstone of every sustainable programme, development or project. No project is complete without public relations.
The PR industry is no longer a beautiful rose sitting on the cake. It is an industry bursting with ideas and energy to propel the fourth industrial revolution into reality.
We need more PR practitioners who are equipped with poise, passion, ethics and knowledge. A pretty face is no longer a criterion for this industry as it is content and conviction that drive us more. — Bernama
(This commentary is the personal opinion of the writer.)