Astro blasted over Chinese shows

Astro blasted over Chinese shows

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Malaysia's largest cable television
operator is being accused of undermining national culture by
showing Chinese-language programs from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Local press took up the issue on Sunday, with several papers
suggesting that the popular satellite station Astro should
overhaul its programming to keep foreign influence out.

The Mingguan Malaysia newspaper accused Astro of not caring
about "national values, culture and aspirations," and said that
foreign shows would distract Malaysians from more important local
issues.

The controversy began last week, when local news media quoted
community leaders and other prominent figures as saying that many
Astro shows focused excessively on the culture, politics and
entertainment of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reportedly suggested an
investigation be conducted into whether these foreign shows
actually influence the people.