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By Mihar Dias November 2025
I first met Yong Soo Heong two years ago — not at a newsroom, nor a press conference — but at a modern replica of The Coliseum of Kuala Lumpur in Petaling Jaya, the kind of place where nostalgia lingers like the aroma of strong coffee.
There he was, sitting comfortably, his warm smile and round, gentle presence immediately reminding me of the main character in The Whale.
The resemblance was uncanny — not just in appearance, but in spirit. Both men are editors who have spent a lifetime polishing words, refining ideas, and, in their quiet way, shaping how the world reads itself.
Like Brendan Fraser’s Charlie in The Whale, Soo Heong radiates a certain tenderness — the kind that comes from years of observing humanity through the lens of journalism. Editors like him live a curious life: surrounded by words yet seldom heard themselves. They dwell in the background, cutting, crafting, curating, ensuring that others’ voices shine — a silent calling that only those who truly love the written word can endure.
But Yong’s story isn’t tragic — it’s full of heart. Beneath his stoic editor’s calm is a man who adores food, laughter, and good company. Conversations with him often drift from media ethics to the best char kuey teow in Penang or the perfect way to brew Hainanese coffee. For him, words and food are both forms of nourishment — one for the mind, the other for the soul.
So it felt perfectly fitting when Datuk Yong Soo Heong, President of the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI), received the HAWANA 2025 Award, Malaysia’s highest journalistic honour, from none other than Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2434124
The applause that filled the hall at the World Trade Centre was not just for his five decades of journalism — it was for a man who never stopped believing in the craft, even as the world shifted beneath it.
His career reads like a map of Malaysian media history. From his early days at The Star and The Straits Echo in Penang, to his decades at Bernama — where he rose to become editor-in-chief and general manager — Yong helped define the standards of reporting that many still follow. https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2434124
He was instrumental in creating Bernama’s editorial style guide, a bible for young journalists learning the trade. He was also savvy enough to see that journalism needed business sense to survive — helping the agency boost revenue and reduce dependence on government funding.
Those who worked with him often describe him as meticulous yet kind, sharp yet patient. He could dissect a headline faster than most people could finish their kopi-O, but he always did it with a teacher’s touch. Even in the boardrooms of Bernama or at the Malaysian Press Institute, Yong was never one for bluster. His leadership was steady — the kind that quietly commanded respect rather than demanded it.
When I think of Soo Heong, I think of a man who sees journalism not merely as a profession, but as a lifelong commitment to truth and clarity. His pen — or perhaps now, his keyboard — continues to guide young journalists through the fog of clickbait and algorithms.
As the current editor-in-chief of The Weekly Echo, an online publication which he has helped to turbocharge,
he remains both mentor and guardian of the old values in this noisy digital age.
And yet, there’s that other side of him — the foodie, the storyteller, the man whose laughter echoes over a plate of nasi lemak.
Like the protagonist in The Whale, he has lived with words and food as his companions, finding meaning and solace in both. But unlike Charlie’s isolation, Yong’s world is one of connection — built from friendships, respect, and a deep, enduring love for journalism.
So here’s to Yong Soo Heong — a gentle giant of Malaysian media, a craftsman of language, and a man who has shown that you can live a full, generous life while still editing the world into better shape.
And perhaps, the next time we meet again at that “Coliseum” in PJ, he’ll still be doing what he does best — savouring words and flavours, one story, one meal at a time.
Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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