KUALA LUMPUR: THE New Straits Times" Special Probes Team came up tops at the Health Ministry's Media Awards last night for its coverage on "Killer Cosmetics".
The team, comprising NST news editor Farrah Naz Karim and journalist Aliza Shah took home RM3,000.
The team's series of expose on the issue that had been plaguing the consumer market saw them working closely with the ministry on covert operations.
The exhaustive coverage also saw amendments to laws made, to better regulate the cosmetics industry, particularly players in the small and medium industry.
NST journalist Tharanya Arumugam meanwhile won the consolation prize for her story on mental health affecting Malaysians.
Berita Harian's reporters Osman Lisut, Halina Mohd Noor and Ilah Hafiz Aziz also took home the main prize for the Best Malay Language newspaper for their coverage on the dangers of Vitamin-C injection.
Berita Harian also took home a consolation prize for their coverage on fake Stevia.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya presented the awards.
Also present were Malaysian Press Institute chaiman Datuk Chamil Wariya and Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
MPI received a total of 346 entries for this year's Health Media Award.
Farrah Naz who is also NST Special Probes editor said the team had and would continue to pursue and expose issues which directly impact the masses.
Meanwhile, Dr Hilmi in his opening speech said media played a vital role in helping channel accurate information especially on the importance of health care to the public.
"Health care is not the ministry's sole responsibility, it is the responsibility of every individual..
"The media also play an important role to provide information so that the public is more alert on the importance of health care.
"This will also help to prevent communicable diseases," he said.
Information provided by the media, he added also helped to encourage the public to participate in health programmes organised by the ministry.
"When the media helps to channel information it also indirectly helps to improve public knowledge on the importance of health care and influence them to participate in our health care programmes and support new policies," he added.