Credit : Erwin Khairul's X
AYER KEROH, November 1, 2026 – A media centre set up for the 16th Melaka state election is helping journalists carry out their work smoothly while ensuring that information reaching the public is authentic, accurate and fast, according to Ketua Pengarah (Director-General) of Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia (JaPen) Erwin Khairul Ahmad.
In a post shared on X on the evening of November 1, 2026, Erwin said the Pusat Media (Media Centre) had been prepared in conjunction with the Melaka state election to support the smooth running of media practitioners’ assignments and to ensure the delivery of authentic, accurate and prompt information to the people. He said the centre operates at Hotel Mudzaffar in Ayer Keroh from October 30 to November 14, 2026. The post carried four photos taken at the centre.
https://x.com/erwinkhairulahm/status/2116840552864133505
Open daily until polling day
The centre is run by the Ministry of Communications through its Strategic and Corporate Communications Division. In a statement issued in Melaka on October 29, 2026, reported by Bernama, the division’s secretary, Naim Fahmi Ahmad Tajuddin, said the media centre would operate from October 30 to November 14, from 9 am to 7 pm.
Naim Fahmi said the ministry had also activated the National Information Dissemination Centres (NADI) throughout Melaka as supporting media centres, open from 9 am to 6 pm. “The list of NADI can be checked at the link https://www.nadi.my/lokasi-nadi,” he said in the statement.
Melaka has 39 NADI centres. The most recent, NADI Taman Seri Telok Mas, was launched by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil on May 8, 2026, according to Melaka Hari Ini, which described it as the 39th NADI developed in the state, offering internet access, smart service programmes and government information.
Key election dates
The Melaka State Legislative Assembly was dissolved on September 23, 2026. The Election Commission (SPR) fixed October 31 as nomination day, November 10 for early voting and November 14 as polling day, Bernama reported. A total of 687,697 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the election for all 28 state seats, according to SPR chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun.
The media centre’s operating period therefore runs from the eve of nomination day through to polling day itself, covering the full campaign period during which journalists from national and local outlets are reporting from across the state.
Erwin did not say in the post how many media practitioners had registered to use the centre or what facilities it offers. Those details were not set out in the ministry’s statement reported by Bernama.
JaPen’s role
JaPen, which comes under the Ministry of Communications, is the government’s main agency for explaining policies and initiatives to the public at federal, state and district levels. Erwin took the helm of the department on June 22, 2026, as its 20th Director-General since the organisation was set up in 1945, according to Harian Metro. He has 25 years of experience in information and strategic communications and previously served as secretary of the Strategic Communications Division at the Ministry of Communications and as JaPen’s Deputy Director-General (Digital Content).
Source : Erwin Khairul’s X, with details from the Ministry of Communications statement reported by Bernama, Harian Metro and Melaka Hari Ini.
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