Veteran Malaysian broadcast journalist and environmental reporter, Datuk Karam Singh Walia, passed away this morning (6 April) at 67 years old.
His younger brother, Jasbant Singh, who is also Group Managing Editor of News and Current Affairs at Media Prima Berhad, confirmed the news, according to Berita Harian.
The late datuk karam singh walia
An iconic voice in environmental advocacy
Karam Singh Walia was a former TV3 broadcast journalist who served from 1995 until his retirement in 2014. He was widely recognised for his bold, distinctive delivery, often incorporating fluent Bahasa Melayu proverbs and a touch of humour while exposing issues of environmental pollution and mismanagement.
Throughout his career, Karam Singh earned numerous journalism awards for his exclusive coverage of environmental and social issues. Notably, he won the Malaysia Press Institute’s “Best Environmental Television Journalist” award four consecutive times between 2004 and 2007. He was also a two-time recipient of the prestigious Seri Angkasa Award.
In recognition of his contributions, he was conferred the Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP), which carries the title “Datuk,” by the Sultan of Pahang in 2011.
Mastery of language through self-driven learning
Karam Singh Walia’s fluency in Bahasa Melayu is often attributed to a humble, self-driven learning experience during his youth.
As the story goes, he once came across a discarded Malay-language book, which sparked his curiosity. Despite having limited formal exposure to the language at the time, he began studying the book independently. He would repeatedly go through its contents, looking up unfamiliar words and practising his pronunciation.
This persistence transformed an accidental discovery into a lifelong skill, which later became the hallmark of his eloquent and impactful journalism career.
WORLD OF BUZZ would like to extend our deepest condolences to Karam’s family during this difficult time.
