I was delighted to see the recent Gazette Notification relating to the Chartered Media Professionals Institute Act. This marks an important milestone in the long journey toward the professionalization and institutional development of Sri Lanka’s media sector.
Several years ago, I had the privilege of serving as the Chairman of the committee appointed by then Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma (@DullasOfficial) to draft the proposed legislation for establishing a Chartered Media Professionals Institute in Sri Lanka. It was a challenging but rewarding task, undertaken with the support of an exceptionally capable group of media professionals, academics, legal experts, and industry practitioners who generously contributed their expertise and experience.
Although our committee successfully completed the drafting process, circumstances at the time did not permit us to take the proposed legislation to Parliament as a draft bill. Therefore, it is particularly gratifying to witness the initiative moving forward and receiving official recognition through the present government’s Gazette Notification.
Professionalizing the media sector has long been a necessity in Sri Lanka. The establishment of a Chartered Media Professionals Institute can contribute significantly to enhancing professional standards, ethics, continuous learning, accreditation, and public trust in journalism and media practice. Such an institution has the potential to become a cornerstone in strengthening the quality and credibility of our media landscape.
I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to all members of the original drafting committee whose dedication made this achievement possible. Progress in public policy is often the result of collective efforts that transcend political administrations and individual recognition.
I am pleased to share here a photograph of the committee together with the draft that we prepared at the time. It serves as a reminder that meaningful reforms often require patience, persistence, and the commitment of many individuals working toward a common goal. @NalakaG@rkalansooriya@anushapalpita@milindarj@MahindaPathir11@asokadias
#MediaProfessionals #SriLankaMedia #MediaDevelopment #PublicPolicy #ProfessionalStandards #CharteredMediaProfessionalsInstitute
පරිත්යාගයේ සහ සහෝදරත්වයේ අගය ලොවට කියාපාන මෙම උතුම් හජ් මංගල්යයේදී ඔබ සැමට සාමය සහ සමෘද්ධිය ප්රාර්ථනා කරමි. ශ්රී ලාංකික මෙන්ම ලෝවාසී සියලුම ඉස්ලාම් සහෝදර සහෝදරියන්ට සුබ හජ් මංගල්යයක් වේවා! ඊද් මුබාරක්!
தியாகம் மற்றும் சகோதரத்துவத்தின் உன்னதத்தை உலகிற்கு வெளிப்படுத்தும் இந்த நன்னாளில், அனைவருக்கும் அமைதியும் சுபிட்சமும் நிலவ பிரார்த்திக்கிறேன். இலங்கை மற்றும் உலகளாவிய இஸ்லாமிய உறவுகள் அனைவருக்கும் இனிய ஹஜ் பெருநாள் நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்! ஈத் முபாரக்!
May the supreme spirit of sacrifice, unity, and brotherhood illuminate our nation and the world. Wishing a blessed and peaceful Hajj Festival to all my Muslim brothers and sisters. Eid Mubarak!
#DullasAlahapperuma #EidAlAdha #Hajj #EidMubarak
The roots of progress are vision, courage, hands, sweat—and in today's world, data as well. Today is a day of pause for the calluses on those hands. Let us celebrate Labour Day meaningfully, in the service of a righteous ideology.
මැයි 1 - ප්රාර්ථනාව
රාජ්යයන්, නායකයන්, ආයතන සහ පුද්ගලයන් ලෙස කවුරුන් ජය පැන් බීවද ප්රගතියේ පදනම, දැක්ම, ධෛර්යය, දෑත් සහ දහදියයි. නව ලෝකයේ එයට දත්ත ද එකතු වී තිබේ.
කරගැට සඳහා විරාමයක් ලැබුණු අද දවසේ අධිෂ්ඨානයෙන් බැඳෙමු, දිදුලන ලොවකට දැහැමි සහ දියුණු මතවාද දන්දීම වෙනුවෙන්.
#DullasAlahapperuma #MayDay
Yesterday night marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan with the sighting of the moon, bringing with it the values of discipline, compassion, and devotion.
Yet, it is deeply saddening that in the very region where Islam was born, parts of the Middle East continue to face conflict and suffering. We are reminded that Almighty Allah upholds peace, and that war is only ever a last resort.
In these challenging circumstances, the resilience, faith, and unity shown by the Muslim community around the world in observing Eid al-Fitr reflect their unwavering devotion.
To our Muslim brothers and sisters across the globe, may the blessings of Allah be with you. May the tears of joy rise above sorrow, and may peace and healing prevail, especially in the Middle East. Eid Mubarak. 🌙
#DullasAlahapperuma #EidMubarak
Welcoming the year of the horse...!
Today marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year for our brotherly people of China, welcoming the Year of the Horse — a symbol of strength, energy, and unstoppable progress.
May this new year bring boundless happiness, renewed vitality, and lasting prosperity to the billions of Chinese people around the world. Wishing a joyous and flourishing Chinese New Year to all celebrating.
#DullasAlahapperuma #ChineseNewYear2026 #SriLanka
In 1505, Sri Lanka entered a long chapter of foreign domination, and after 443 long years, we reclaimed our freedom. Today, we proudly mark the 78th anniversary of that hard-earned independence.
No matter where we live or what language we speak, independence is one of the most powerful and beautiful words for any living being. There is no better day than today to renew our determination to protect, preserve, and honour that sacred freedom.
Happy Independence Day, Sri Lanka. 🇱🇰
As Australia Day was celebrated yesterday, I extend my warm wishes to the Government and the people of Australia. May this day continue to reflect the nation’s values of unity, resilience, and diversity, and may the strong friendship between Australia and Sri Lanka grow further in the years ahead. 🇦🇺🤝🇱🇰 @AusHCSriLanka@dfat
Vande Mataram | वदे मातरम्.
Our brotherly people of India proudly celebrate their Republic Day today. On this meaningful occasion, we Sri Lankans join them with warmth, friendship, and sincere good wishes, celebrating the shared democratic values that bind our nations. 🇮🇳🤝🇱🇰
@narendramodi #IndiaSriLanka @IndiainSL@IndianDiplomacy@MFA_SriLanka@santjha
On #InternationalEducationDay, my hope and prayer is that those entrusted with shaping education will have the vision and will to pursue progressive, future-ready reforms—built through dialogue and consensus, while safeguarding our cultural values and the well-being of our beloved children. Education must prepare minds for tomorrow without losing our identity today.#DullasalAhapperuma #InternationalEducationDay