NEWS

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

An experienced senior journalist with vast skills in investigative journalism with 44 years of journalism experience in the industry while maintaining good relationships with government officials, media partners and in public relations.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

AS AN AUTHOR:

I have published a book, Mass Graves: Uncovering the Killing Fields of Wang Kelian, on my discovery  of the migrant prison camps and the Wang Kelian mass graves, the heinous killing of the Myanmar and Bangladeshi migrants brought into Thailand by land and boats by the human trafficking syndicates, who illegally smuggle them into Malaysia, where, I exposed the killing of the migrants in 2015, at the Thailand-Malaysia border in Perlis.  

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AWARD

Winner of the Malaysia Human Rights Commission Award 2015, Malaysian Press Institute-Petronas - “Excellent Investigative Reporting” award in 2016 with RM10,000 cash prize. Sungai Petani Rotary Club’s Vocational Service Award 2019 – “Excellence in Journalism” award.

One of my major experiences as a journalist was covering the tragedy in my hometown, Butterworth, where a platform at the ferry terminal collapsed during the 100-year celebrations of the St Anne's Church feast and the 60-year celebrations of the Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) Temple in George Town, Penang in 1988, where 32 people were killed in the incident.

Completed an investigative booklet “Unmasking Illicit Pathways: Investigating Corrupt and Cross-Border Crimes in Malaysia’s Migrant Labour Market for The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism. This talks about corruption involving the uniformed authorities in Malaysia.

Where I have stated that the migrant workers have become ATM machines for the enforcement officers.

My article, co-authored with S. Vinotha, has won the Malaysian-Press Institute’s annual media award 2024, with Gold Prize for the article, “Exposed: Shackles of rampant modern-day slave trading,” which was rewarded with RM5,000 cash.

A SPECIAL REPORT on E-waste published in Malaysiakini on Oct 17, 2022: More than 1,000 containers with tones of e-waste are illegally imported monthly and processed in Malaysia, leaving the country with a vast amount of pollution in its land, air and water. smuggled into the country leaves a trail of pollution.

The article was submitted to The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) based in Hong Kong for its annual award competition in 2023, however, it failed to win any award.

I have earlier reported a similar article in Free Malaysia Today in March 2018, where I stated that the Malaysian soil will be flooded with electronic waste containers as China closes its door for global waste treatment, as China-based syndicates have identified Malaysia as their dumping ground.

WHEN THE WATER RISES: A Malaysian Climate Change Story

A Malaysiakini article reported by AIDILA RAZAK, ARULLDAS SINNAPPAN, OOI CHOON NAM, LEE LONG HOOI, YANG JING THIAN AND MUKHRIZ HAZIM was submitted for CLIMATE COVER NOW 2023 Competition in the United States, which was shortlisted under 65 in out of the 1100 entries.

In this ambitious effort to capture the climate story unfolding for everyday Malaysians, journalists document the severe regional climate impacts, including flooding, failed crops, food insecurity, and ruined livelihoods, that are affecting thousands. Sleek graphics are complemented by curated crowd-sourced photo and video. And a smart tool allows Malaysian readers to enter their locations and see custom data graphics about temperature rise and erratic rainfall patterns. Our judges especially enjoyed the clear and accessible explanations of science underlying climate change. This is work designed to serve its audience — it was published in three languages, English, Malay, and Chinese — and it does so with great aplomb.

COMPETENCIES

I have 44 years of experience in Journalism. I began my career in 1980 till the present day. Experience in interviewing Government Officials, Investigative Journalism, maintaining good rapport with the officials, public relations, etc.Proficient in writing and speaking in 3 languages, Bahasa Malaysia, English and Tamil.

EDUCATION

Secondary Education: Malaysian Cambridge Examination – Bukit Mertajam High School and St Mark's Secondary School in Butterworth (1968-1973).

Primary Education: Prai Tamil School, Prai, Penang (January 1962 – December 1967)

RECOGNITION BY THE STATE:

The Penang state government has recognized by conferring Darjah Johan Negeri (DJN) award in 2013 and DarjahSetiaPangkuNegeri (DSPN) award which carries the title Dato’ in 2022.

PERSONAL PARTICULARS

Age: 70-years-old

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: 15 July 1955

Nationality: Malaysian

CONTACT DETAILS:

Mobile: +6017-4759406

Email: arull55@yahoo.com

Address: Address: No. 7, Lorong Masjid, BaganAjam, 13000 Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia

CAREER HISTORY - BRIEF

March 2025 - Present:  Freelance Journalist

June 2022 - June 2023

Malaysiakini online portal

May 2019 – May 2022

The Vibes online portal

August 2012 - May 2017:

The Malay Mail

May 2005 - July 2010:

New Straits Times (Retired)

2002-2005 - 2011-2013

The Star

1996-2002

The Sun daily

1988 - 1996

MakkalOsai and Malaysia Nanban Tamil dailies

1980 - 1988

Tamil Osai and MakkalOsai Tamil dailies

CAREER HISTORY IN DETAIL

The Vibes online portal

Joined as a pioneer on September 1, 2020, when The Vibes launched its operations, and in December 2020, I exposed an Iranian vessel’s illegal entry into the North Butterworth Container Terminal, berth at the port, and two of its sick crew were rushed to the government hospital for treatment.

In the same month, I wrote a story stating that the 136-year-old iconic vehicular ferry services would cease operations on December 31, 2020, and the authorities were planning to introduce a catamaran to transport only walking passengers between George Town and Butterworth.

The Malay Mail

Senior Journalist - Northern Correspondent | August 2012 - May 2017

I joined the Malay Mail in August 2012, while with the daily covering crime stories, I wrote one of my best front-paged investigative stories with the title “Gruesome Myanmar Communal Murders Grip Penang” in September 2015 and another front page story “24 Die in Deadly Crossings”, which I linked the deaths to the human traffickers.

Then in May 2015, I discovered the “Migrant Prison Camps” and the “Mass Graves” at Wang Kelian, at the Thailand-Malaysian border in Perlis, where the security personnel unearthed a total of 139 bodies of human trafficking victims, believed to be Rohingyas from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

I believe that I have helped to stop human trafficking activities of the international cross-border syndicates in Myanmar, Bangladesh and in Thailand and the death of innocent people in the hands of greedy for money syndicates. I have written a book on Mass Graves: Uncovering the Killing Fields of Wang Kelian as it talks about the “Migrants Mass Graves”.  

New Straits Times

Senior Journalist | May 2005 - July 2010

In April 2007, while I was with the New Straits Times, I broke the story of an Indian national R. Ganesh, who was abused, tortured, locked up without food and water by his employer and later dumped at a secondary forest in Gurun, Kedah, But, sadly, he died about 12 hours after my interview.

This incident sparked international interest and opened cans of worms. My news reports were picked up by the media in India, as many Indian nationals were worried about seeking employment in Malaysia following the incident.

My editorial management sent me to Ganesh's village in Tamil Nadu, South India to visit his family. It was heart-wrenching to see his mother crying bitterly when I showed her the photographs of a famished-looking Ganesh at the hospital bed as opposed to the healthy young man she last saw him before he left for "greener pastures" in Malaysia.

In Tamil Nadu, I also interviewed the Labour and Law Minister, several NGO leaders to find out the reasons for the influx of the Indian nationals to Malaysia.

The Star

As a stringer between 2002 - 2005 (Joined again - January 2011 - July 2012)

I joined the The Star (English daily) as a stringer between June 2002 and May 2005.and joined again in January 2011 and served until July 2011 before joining The New Straits Times 

The Sun

Journalist | 1996-2002

I joined The Sun (an English daily) in May 1996 until 2002, While, I was with The Sun in 1997, I broke the story of 30 Pakistani migrant women who were locked up in their dormitories and abused by the factory management. They were rescued after my story and the Pakistani Embassy intervened to send them back to their homeland.

Tamil Osai (1980-1988) - MakkalOsai and Malaysia Nanban (1996)

Began as a journalist

I joined the Tamil Osai (a local Tamil language daily) in 1980 and served the company until 1988 when it was closed after a court order following a legal battle between the shareholders. The management then operated Malaysia Nanban and MakkalOsai, which I served until 1996.