Panellists Ms Suhana (leftmost) and Ms Farahida (rightmost) sharing their insights during the forum.

TAR UMT students, lecturers, and guest speakers in a group photograph after the industry-academic forum.

FCCI students and educators attending the 'From Messaging to Meaning' industry-academic forum.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, where messages are constantly competing for attention, understanding the meaning behind communication has become more crucial than ever.

To deepen that understanding, an industry-academic forum titled ‘From Messaging to Meaning’ was held on 1 April 2026 by TAR UMT public relations students, which brought together students, lecturers, and industry experts to explore how PR in Malaysia is shifting from simply delivering messages to creating meaningful and authentic engagement.

Held annually since 2016 by the Faculty of Communication and Creative Industries (FCCI), this forum is part of the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia Students Association – Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (IPRMSA–TAR UMT) chapter.

Nearly 100 students and lecturers attended this year’s session, which featured guest speakers Ms Suhana Mohamed Salleh, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Applied Communication at MMU, and Ms Farahida Othman, Communication Manager of Telekom Malaysia, who shared their respective insights on modern messaging strategies and the importance of ethical communication in the PR industry.

The students were also given opportunities to ask questions and interact with the panellists in order to broaden their perspectives, exchange ideas, and better understand the evolving role of PR, media, and communication in Malaysia.

“This forum is essential to our students because the popularity of digital media and social networks has given rise to the need for future PR practitioners to be genuine communicators, effective storytellers, and ethical professionals,” said Mr Chuan Tek Pheung, Programme Leader from FCCI.