KOTA KINABALU: Sinar Harian reporter Asyikin Asmin has earned recognition for her outstanding work, securing the highest award in the Malay Language division of the Feature and News Feature categories at the 2026 Kinabalu Press Awards (KPA), here on Saturday.
Her winning entry, a report series titled Zara Qairina: The Quest for Justice and the Wave of Change, earned her a prize of RM5,000.
The award was presented by Assistant Minister to the Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, who stood in for the Chief Minister, together with Sabah Journalists Association (SJA) president Mariah Doksil.
Asyikin’s achievements didn’t end there. She also received the Environmental Award for her investigative piece on the killing of elephants in Sabah, which brought her an additional RM2,500.
With these two major wins, she added two consolation prizes to her tally at KPA 2026. One came in the News Report (Non-Feature) category for her coverage on the Nabawan landslide, highlighting community isolation, recurring hazards, and rural infrastructure issues.
The other was in the Sports Journalism category, awarded for her story on traditional sports being revived during the Kaamatan Festival.
Each of these consolation prizes carried a cash award of RM500.
